The Wages of Sin: America's Dilemma of Profit Against Humanity »

JON HUER is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.

This is an incisive book about what has gone wrong with the social fabric of American society. Jon Huer postulates two models of society: one that pursues profit and self-interest, and the other that cherishes community values. Huer holds that these two types of ethics cannot coexist in a truly just society. One prominent result of the current dominance of the profit-driven model of behavior is that American society increasingly substitutes reality with illusion, happiness with pleasure, strength with brute force--highlighted by the now-obsessive demands for entertainment and overconsumption, and frequent calls for warlike ventures. The Wages of Sin is a major work of American cultural analysis that gives historical insights and suggests remedies to the current societal malaise. Calling attention to the United States' original purpose and resolve, the author challenges the generally accepted views in the United States. He is critical of American society--but expresses his view hopefully, regretfully, and sympathetically. Huer passionately uncovers the underpinnings of the unhappiness and dissatisfaction rampant in America--while at the same time providing historical and sociological insights and facts. This book will be of great interest to the educated or general reader, scholars, and students in sociology, American studies, political science, philosophy, psychology, and even literary criticism.

Profit and Society

The Profit Ethic

Profit Without Humanity

The Substitute Society

The Court of Jesters

The Trivial Heart

The House of Cards

The Profit System

The Marketplace

The Targeting of America

The Inverted Economy

Wealth and Power

Economics and Politics

Democracy for Sale

The Wages of Sin

The Pound of Flesh

Back to Humanity

Bibliography

Index