Christopher Lasch
Also known as Robert Christopher Lasch
American historian and social critic (1932 to 1994); wrote The Culture of Narcissism.
At a glance
Main ideas
The decline of the family, The culture of narcissism, Populism …
See all 4Criticism
Susan Faludi
Books to start with
The New Radicalism in America, Haven in a Heartless World, The Culture of Narcissism …
See all 5Connections
C. Wright Mills, Richard Hofstadter and The Culture of Narcissism
See all 3
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Lasch was a historian at the University of Rochester who used history to criticise modern American culture.
- He argued that large institutions, public and private, were eroding the competence and independence of families and communities.
- A neo-Marxist in the 1960s, he later combined cultural conservatism with a left-wing critique of capitalism.
- The Culture of Narcissism (1979) became a surprise bestseller.
Why it matters
- His diagnosis of consumerism, therapeutic culture and elite detachment is still cited by critics on both the left and the right.
Key facts
- Born
- 1 Jun 1932, Omaha, Nebraska1
- Died
- 14 Feb 1994, at his home in Pittsford, New York, aged 61, of cancer1
- Education
- BA in history, Harvard; MA and PhD, Columbia, working with William Leuchtenburg1
- Career
- University of Iowa; professor of history at the University of Rochester from 1970 to 19941
- Award
- National Book Award (1980) for The Culture of Narcissism1
Main ideas
-
The decline of the family1
Centralised government and anonymous public life undermined the old order of the family.
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The culture of narcissism1
Consumer capitalism and a therapeutic mindset produced a narcissistic personality type.
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Populism1
In The True and Only Heaven he sought to revive a sceptical, democratic producerist tradition.
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Against progress1
He came to reject the left's belief in progress.
Criticism
-
Susan Faludi1
Called him anti-feminist for his views on abortion rights and divorce.
Books to start with
The line under a date fills as it gets older: empty when new, full at 2 years.
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The New Radicalism in America1
On American intellectuals and radicalism.
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Haven in a Heartless World1
The family besieged.
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American life in an age of diminishing expectations.
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The True and Only Heaven1
Progress and its critics.
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The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy1
Published after his death.
Connections
Links
Sources
Last checked against its sources today
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