Michael K. Briand

Beyond Liberalism (eBook, ePUB)

Toward a Purpose-Guided Democracy

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

This book shows how the United States can begin dealing with the most difficult and intractable political issues that afflict liberal democracy today: by initiating an inclusive public practice of ethical dialogue and deliberation.

Beyond Liberalism argues that there is a flaw in liberalism: the doctrine of individualism. Specifically, the defect consists in two distinct ideas: "atomism" and "subjectivism." These ideas underpin the "principle of freedom," which is our default method for making personal choices and resolving interpersonal disagreements but contains no standard for determining what might be worth doing, and hence no criteria for assigning relative priority to values in conflict.

Objective ethical judgments can be achieved, however, if we understand that, insofar as they support the fulfillment of empirically identified human needs, statements about good and bad are propositions of a factual nature. A conception of the good for human beings is implicit in the fulfillment of those needs. To articulate that conception, we need a constructive, productive public practice of ethical dialogue and deliberation. To build such a practice will require what amounts to a life of "ethical heroism." This book seeks to encourage that sort of life.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury Publishing Inc
• Seitenzahl: 224
• Altersempfehlung: ab 7 Jahre
• Erscheinungstermin: 14. Juni 2019
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9798216052838
• Artikelnr.: 68164909

Autorenporträt

Michael Briand, PhD, is director of the Ethics and Deliberation Project at CivicEvolution. He is author of Practical Politics: Five Principles for a Community that Works.

Inhaltsangabe

Preface Introduction: Saving Liberal Democracy from Itself ONE
Individualism versus Individuality TWO Interference, Independence, and
What's Worth Doing THREE Autonomy FOUR Freedom, Rights, and Conflicts
between Values FIVE Ethics and Rules SIX Exploring Consequences SEVEN The
Ethical Point of View EIGHT Objective Ethics: The Good NINE Objective
Ethics: The Right TEN Negotiating Ethically ELEVEN Why Think Ethically?
TWELVE Ethical Heroism Afterword Notes Bibliography Index