The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness

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The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness is a 1944 political and theological work by Reinhold Niebuhr that explores the moral foundations of democracy and the tension between human idealism and self-interest.

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Predicate Object
instanceOf book
non-fiction book
political philosophy book
theological work
addresses limits of rational moral idealism in politics
need for checks and balances in democratic systems
role of power in maintaining justice
arguesThat democracy is necessary because humans are sinful
democracy is possible because humans are capable of justice
author Reinhold Niebuhr NERFINISHED
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
defines children of darkness as those guided primarily by self-interest
children of light as those guided by moral ideals
explores ethical basis of democratic institutions
relationship between power and morality in politics
tension between moral idealism and human self-interest
genre Christian ethics
political theology
hasKeyConcept children of darkness
children of light
hasSubject Christian political thought
justice
liberal democracy
moral responsibility of citizens
original sin
political ethics
power
role of religion in public life
social ethics
hasTheologicalPerspective Protestant Christianity NERFINISHED
historicalContext World War II NERFINISHED
crisis of liberal democracy in the 1930s and 1940s
influenced debates on liberal democracy in Christian ethics
postwar American political theology
influencedBy Christian doctrine of sin
Reinhold Niebuhr's Christian realist thought
language English
mainTopic Christian realism
democracy
human nature
idealism
moral foundations of democracy
self-interest
philosophicalTradition Christian realism NERFINISHED
political realism
publicationYear 1944

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Reinhold Niebuhr notableWork The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness