该书是一本主要考察林肯关于奴隶制的思想和政策的演变过程的学术著作,从林肯成年时代开始遇到的激烈广泛的反奴隶制运动和美国经历的史无前例的内战危机这一背景,来追溯林肯的思想演变。正如作者自己所说,他写作此书的初衷即“目标是全面地考察林肯,包括他的优点和缺点,他的深刻洞察力和错误判断。我想展现一个行动 The book is a book focusing on Lincoln’s academic work on the evolution of slavery’s ideas and policies. Against the background of the intense anti-slavery movement that Lincoln began adulthood and the unprecedented crisis of civil war the United States experienced Tracing the Evolution of Lincoln ’s Thought. As the author himself put it, his goal in writing this book was ”to aim at a comprehensive examination of Lincoln, including his strengths and weaknesses, his profound insight and his erroneous judgment. I want to show an action