The Individual and the Political Order: An Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy / Edition 4

by Norman E. Bowie University of Minnesota, Robert L. Simon

Overview

This fourth edition of The Individual and the Political Order provides a careful, accessible, and reasoned liberal justification for the democratic state and political authority. The central feature of liberalism is the commitment to individual autonomy. The authors show how that commitment provides a defense of democracy, and they give a liberal interpretation to such core values as liberty, equality, and political authority. Although the authors support liberal theory, they also provide a sympathetic treatment of the critics of liberalism. The authors give a sound explanation of such positions as feminist political theory, communitarianism, and post-modernism but they also argue persuasively that these theories fall short as adequate theories of the political order. A significant feature of the new edition is the treatment of international issues and globalization, particularly the war on terrorism and poverty in the third world. This edition retains its balanced treatment of such major theorists as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Rawls and, in this edition, Marx. This edition continues the tradition of readability, balance, and careful argumentation that characterized the earlier editions. The Individual and the Political Order is accessible to a wide audience and to nearly all individuals who are interested in how citizens in a state should be governed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742550056
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/20/2007
Edition description:	Fourth Edition
Pages:	290
Product dimensions:	7.11(w) x 10.08(h) x 0.84(d)
Lexile:	1360L (what's this?)

About the Author

Norman E. Bowie is the Elmer L Andersen Chair in Corporate Responsibility at the University of Minnesota. He is the author or editor of 15 books and over 75 scholarly articles in business ethics, political philosophy and related fields. His most recent book is Management Ethics. Robert L. Simon is the Marjorie and Robert W. McEwen Professor of Philosophy at Hamilton College. He is the author of Fair Play: Values and Sport and Neutrality and the Academic Ethics as well as many articles in ethics, political philosophy and philosophy of sport.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface
Chapter 2 Introduction
Chapter 3 Chapter One: Love It or Leave It: Individual Conscience and Political Authority
Chapter 4 Chapter Two: Utilitarianism
Chapter 5 Chapter Three: Human Rights: Meaning and Justification
Chapter 6 Chapter Four: Justice
Chapter 7 Chapter Five: Liberty
Chapter 8 Chapter Six: Democracy
Chapter 9 Chapter Seven: Liberal Political Theory and Its Critics
Chapter 10 Chapter Eight: Ethics and International Affairs
Chapter 11 Chapter Nine: War, Morality, and Terrorism
Chapter 12 Postscript

Editorial Reviews

An engaging, well-balanced, illuminating overview of central issues in contemporary political philosophy. I recommend it highly.

Steven Cahn

Written for undergraduate students, this text explores various political philosophies within the context of different political debates in American society. Looking at liberalism; utilitarianism; communitarian and feminist critiques of liberalism; and the works of such thinkers as Hobbes, Mill, Locke, and Rawls, the authors examine debates on human rights, affirmative action, economic systems, and law and order to shed light on the broad principles of various philosophies. Throughout, the authors argue for their own brand of liberal philosophy while attempting to maintain strong presentations of opposing viewpoints. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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