Review: The Moral Basis of Democracy

The Moral Basis of Democracy by Eleanor Roosevelt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to this short book instead of reading a copy, right before starting an engaging mystery. I found little here that stood out. What I do recall is that Roosevelt decides to use the first third to half of the book to review colonial American policies to lend credence to the ethical and moral basis of democracy. This was a bit excessive and felt like filler added to beef this slim volume up. The other memorable thing was the belief in a Christian version of morality, especially in treating others with care and respect. The only other surprise was that a first lady would take on this topic. It was certainly a sign of the times, as well as an indication of the type of person Roosevelt was. Does the story resonate today, in 2020, in the era of outrage? Yes, I can see where she is coming from and I can buy that story, but I suspect there are more and more people that don’t buy into the base of this argument, that you should treat others with respect and care. I’m glad I read it, but found no big surprises.

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