34 pages • 1 hour read
David BrooksA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
From Kant’s influential quotation—“Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made”—Brooks draws the core theme underlying his discussions of Adam I and Adam II. Human beings are inherently flawed creatures; we do not profit from the baseline assumption that we are infallible. The recognition of human nature as flawed, which was far more prevalent in earlier eras, is a reflex that we must develop before we can move forward and take corrective action.
Brooks uses these terms almost interchangeably to express the simultaneously self-centered, outward-facing side of human nature. They represent the desire for personal advancement, indulgence, and recognition for what we consider our special qualities.
Brooks uses these terms almost interchangeably to express the selfless, introspective side of human nature. They represent our capacity for self-enrichment, which subsequently leads to the betterment of ourselves and our societies.
By David Brooks