InConscientiousThinking,DavidBosworthcutsthroughallthenoiseoftoday’spoliticaldysfunctionandculturalwarstosoundthedeepercausesofourdiscontent.Americansareliving,heargues,inaprofoundlytransitionalera,oneinwhichthecommonsensebeliefsofthefirsttrulymodernsocietyarebeingunderminedbythestillcrudebutirreversibleforcessetloosebytechnology’sdrasticrevisionofoureverydaylives.Heshowshowthisdisruptiveconflictbetweenmodernandpost-modernmodesofreasoningcanbefoundinalladvancedfields,includingart,medicine,andscience,andthentracesitsimpactonourdailyactionsthroughsuchchangesasthewaysinwhichfriendsrelate,moneyismade,crimesarecommitted,andmatesarechosen.Justasfeudalvalueshadtogivewaytoamodernworldviewthatmoreeffectivelycontainedthenewsocialrealitygeneratedbytheprintedbook,somustourdemocracyreimagineitselfinwaysthatcandomesticate--civilizeratherthanmerely“monetize“--apost-modernsceneradicallytransformedbyourdigitalmachines.Tothatend,ConscientiousThinkingsuppliesnotonlythemeanstomakesenseofourcontentioustimesbutalsoaprovisionalsketchofwhatadesirablepost-modernAmericamightlooklike.
