The Politics of Moral Capital

by John Kane

Overview

John Kane argues that, despite appearances, politicians and governments care deeply about people's moral judgments, for these provide the moral capital they depend on for survival and effective functioning. Some famous leaders—Lincoln, de Gaulle, Mandela—illustrate the workings of moral capital in politics, and a study of the American presidency from Kennedy to Clinton shows how the moral capital of the United States has been eroded, with severe consequences for the nation's morale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521663366
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/23/2001
Series:	Contemporary Political Theory
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.83(d)
Lexile:	1590L (what's this?)

Table of Contents

Part I. Moral Capital: 1. Moral capital and politics; 2. Moral capital and leadership; Part II. Moral Capital in Times of Crisis: 3. Abraham Lincoln - the long-purposed man; 4. Charles de Gaulle - the man of storms; Part III. Moral Capital and Dissident Politics: 5. Nelson Mandela - the moral phenomenon; 6. Aung San Suu Kyi - her father's daughter; Part IV. Moral Capital and the American Presidency: 7. Kennedy and American virtue; 8. Crisis; 9. Aftermath; 10. Denouement.

Editorial Reviews

"[John Kane's] thoughtful and well-written book. . . . stands as a refreshing effort to come to terms with the inescapably moral character of political life. It is also an important contribution to the academic study of statesmanship. It succeeds in its stated goal of helping to recover a truly capacious sense of political reality, and successfully demonstrates that moral capital is a fact with which any science of politics must come to terms if it is to do justice to the true efficacy of moral prestige and personal character in human affairs." Journal of Democracy

"[John Kane's] thoughtful and well-written book....stands as a refreshing effort to come to terms with the inescapably moral character of political life. It is also an important contribution to the academic study of statesmanship. It succeeds in its stated goal of helping to recover a truly capacious sense of political reality, and successfully demonstrates that moral capital is a fact with which any science of politics must come to terms if it is to do justice to the true efficacy of moral prestige and personal character in human affairs." Journal of Democracy

From the Publisher