Ten Most Harmful Books of the 19th and 20th Centuries

Human Events Online ^ | May 31, 2005 | Human Events

[hinterlander]

HUMAN EVENTS asked a panel of 15 conservative scholars and public policy leaders to help us compile a list of the Ten Most Harmful Books of the 19th and 20th Centuries. Each panelist nominated a number of titles and then voted on a ballot including all books nominated. A title received a score of 10 points for being listed No. 1 by one of our panelists, 9 points for being listed No. 2, etc. Appropriately, The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, earned the highest aggregate score and the No. 1 listing.

[L,TOWM]

I've read both. The communist manifesto is little more than a political pamphlet. Mein kampf is a farily unstructured collection of rants.

Worth reading if only to see what embittered envy and arrogance (with no apparrent accomplishment to back it up) can produce.

[avg_freeper]

What book made #3?

I apologize for screwing up the html. Here is number three:

3. Quotations from Chairman Mao
Author: Mao Zedong
Publication date: 1966
Score: 38

[BikerNYC]

On Liberty is a classic defense of the individual over the tyranny of the majority. It appears that On Liberty advocates a little too much liberty and not enough conformity for some.

[corkoman]

All this hatred for a biological theory. Oh, I didn't know we were going to use the "hate" lable to broad brush anyone who disagrees with that theory...we jumped that line pretty early today.

Sheesh - a broad brush whiner already.

The category was harm. Clearly the communist murder of millions of people qualifies it for 1st place.

How is it that a book that proposes a theory of biological adaptation through mutation causes harm? Where are the killing fields?

To elevate Origin over one that is directly associated with the murder of millions is done out of fear that it undermines their belief system.

And to do so is IMHO, a triumph of emotion over reason.

[ExcursionGuy84]

Exactly!

The Bible (in all versions) can NEVER be a Destructive/Harmful or Evil-Inducing work!

Now, people have definitely taken it's words and meanings out of context , but that's because of our fallen nature.

"But let GOD be true and Every man a Liar." --Romans 3:4a

[RKV]

"calling those who disagree with him "kooks" that is strong evidence that his argument is weak" - not really. It depends.

[joesnuffy]

They dont dare list that one...lest they find out the truth
the hard way...ala World Trade Center 09-11

[orionblamblam]

> Disagreement = Hate in some circles.


Indeed. Note how when someone defends Darwinian evolution, they are inevitably declared to "hate God" or some such.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Utopia communist/feminist propaganda garbage

[Wiz]

Oops, I wonder why I forgot about that. Forget about my claims...

[narby]

Great. Darwin gets two on the honorable mentions list.

Conservatives should hang a sign on their butt that says "kick me".

This idea of Darwin as boogyman is just stupid.

[RKV]

"too much liberty and not enough conformity for some" Yep. Which is precisely why it doesn't belong on the list.

[RansomOttawa]

How come "The DaVinci Code" wasn't even in the cut????

It's all of, what, two years old? It hasn't even had a fair chance to be forgotten yet.

Freud, Darwin, Marx, and arguably Nietzsche were the biggest influences on 20th-century thought, so I'm not at all surprised to see thier major works on the list. Plus a bunch of others I wouldn't have thought of.

[henkster]

Lysenko is Darwin's best argument.

And as for a literal interpretation of Genesis, I also don't share. So much of the Bible is allegory. And after all, what is a day in the life of an infinte God? A billion years or so for us? Sounds about right.

[Faraday]

Lenin's The State and Revolution should be in the top five. It is more significant in the formation of totalitarianism than was What is to Be Done?.

[KC_Conspirator]

One other book that deserves and honorable mention is:

Rules for Radicals
Saul Alinsky
Publication date: 1966

[monday]

"Great list. I'd have moved Keynes up a couple of notches on the list, but then I've also been blasted by Freepers who think Keynes was a good economist."

I'm with you. Keynes is the father of political interventionism in western economies. He is the one who gave every politician the idea that they could "fix" an economy by meddling in it. All one can say for him is he wasn't as bad a Marx. Astonishing that Freepers would think his ideas sane.

[Paleo Conservative]

Neither Bill nor Hillary made ths list, or the "Honorable Mentions". Maybe because they were both works of fiction.

That should be Dishonorable Mention.

[oblomov]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned these:

[SittinYonder]

It appears that On Liberty advocates a little too much liberty and not enough conformity for some.

Right, it's important to remember that these are "conservatives" and not "libertarians." On the whole, though, I agree with the list. I might make a couple of adjustments in terms of rankings ... Democracy in Education could be moved up a slot or two.