Aristotle listed moderation as one of the moral virtues. He also
defined virtue as the mean between extremes, implying that
moderation plays a vital role in all forms of moral excellence. But
moderation's protean character—its vague and ill-defined
omnipresence in judgment and action—makes it exceedingly
difficult to grasp theoretically. At the same time, moderation
seems to be the foundation of many contemporary democratic
political regimes, because the competition between parties cannot
properly function without compromise and bargaining. The success of
representative government and its institutions depends to a great
extent on the virtue of moderation, yet the latter persists in
being absent from both the conceptual discourse of many political
philosophers and the campaign speeches of politicians fearful of
losing elections if they are perceived as moderates. Aurelian
Craiutu aims to resolve this paradox. Examining the writings of
prominent twentieth-century thinkers such as Raymond Aron, Isaiah
Berlin, Norberto Bobbio, Michael Oakeshott, and Adam Michnik, he
addresses the following questions: What does it mean to be a
moderate voice in political and public life? What are the virtues
and limits of moderation? Can moderation be the foundation for a
successful platform or party? Though critics maintain that
moderation is merely a matter of background and personal
temperament, Craiutu finds several basic norms that have
consistently appeared in different national and political contexts.
The authors studied in this book defended pluralism of ideas,
interests, and social forces, and sought to achieve a sound balance
between them through political trimming. They shared a
preoccupation with political evil and human dignity, but refused to
see the world in Manichaean terms that divide it neatly into the
forces of light and those of darkness. Faces of Moderation argues
that moderation remains crucial for today's encounters with new
forms of extremism and fundamentalism across the world.
General
Imprint: |
University of PennsylvaniaPress
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Haney Foundation Series |
Release date: |
March 2018 |
First published: |
2017 |
Authors: |
Aurelian Cra?iut?u
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 24mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
304 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8122-2409-2 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-8122-2409-4 |
Barcode: |
9780812224092 |
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