Minister of Culture and Innovation, János Csák’s latest book, Genius of America, was launched at the Gellért Campus of Corvinus University on Tuesday. Published by Angelico Press, the book was translated into English by Thomas Sneddon and features a foreword by American conservative political philosopher Patrick J. Deneen, with an afterword by leading US geopolitical analyst George Friedman. In addition to the minister, Gladden Pappin, President of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, also delivered remarks at the event.
In his speech, Pappin expressed that as an American living in Hungary, he found it uplifting to read a book written by a Hungarian about America. He noted that János Csák’s book delves into a seldom-discussed aspect of United States history: the role of various European nationalities—besides the English, also the French, and Spanish—in founding and building the country, and in laying the foundations for its undeniable success.
‘From this often chaotic early mixture and this encounter of European peoples with the land and the vast expanse and the sense of limitless opportunity that the North American land itself called forth emerged this distinctive American genius along with its commitments to and articulations of the ideals of liberty and equality before the law and justice,’ Gladden Pappin highlighted. He added that the minister did a beautiful job of
articulating what those values meant and how they motivated some of the greatest accomplishments in America over the last two and a half centuries.
In his speech, János Csák noted that the book primarily explores a question that not only preoccupied the American Founding Fathers but also drew considerable attention from Greek philosophers: what is a good life and how should we live? The minister pointed out that America was built on three major historical influences: the Judeo-Christian heritage, Greek rational and consequential thinking, and the Roman heritage of law and social organizational skill. These traditions are reflected in the American Constitution and the values that Americans hold most dear: freedom, liberty, and equality before the law.
The minister then stated that Americans regard freedom as the most important value, and it is the
principle of freedom—and its abuse—that has recently been the focus of debate
between the two Americas—the conservative and the progressive liberal side. According to János Csák, this situation manifests as cognitive dissonance, which rationalises injustice, running contrary to America’s original ideals.
This is why it is so intriguing to examine how, despite being undoubtedly the most successful country in the world, the United States has seen its citizens become divided, engaging in internal conflicts, and losing their path to happiness.
‘The United States is the most successful country on Earth. Rich in natural sources. They have very valuable philosophical basis of existence. Based on these two, they created a technological, military and economic might incomparable today. And still, these fierce collisions are happening today. So the fascinating question is that how can a country that is so successful have found that they are not happy in their life? What do we need? What kind of example is the US for the outside world?’
At the end of his speech, János Csák emphasized that he believes
the US remains the best hope for human beings.
‘Justice, equality before the law, and freedom. I have travelled the world and have not found a combination of values and structures better supporting the flourishing of the human soul and human nature,’ he pointed out.
The biggest challenge currently facing the US, according to the minister, is bridging the ever-widening gap between conservatives and progressive liberals, Marxists, while upholding the three aforementioned values. In this context, János Csák stressed the importance of closely monitoring developments in the US in the coming years: ‘We must keep an eye on the US, because the original ideas came from Europe. Therefore, what happens in the US will eventually reach Europe.’
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