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When people of good faith and sound mind disagree deeply about
moral, religious, and other philosophical matters, how can we
justify political institutions to all of them? The idea of public
reason-of a shared public standard, despite disagreement-arose in
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the work of Hobbes,
Locke, Rousseau, and Kant. At a time when John Rawls' influential
theory of public reason has come under fire but its core idea
remains attractive to many, it is important not to lose sight of
earlier philosophers' answers to the problem of private conflict
through public reason. The distinctive selections from the great
social contract theorists in this volume emphasize the pervasive
theme of intractable disagreement and the need for public
justification. New essays by leading scholars then put the
historical work in context and provide a focus of debate and
discussion. They also explore how the search for public reason has
informed a wider body of modern political theory-in the work of
Hume, Hegel, Bentham, and Mill-sometimes in surprising ways. The
idea of public reason is revealed as an overarching theme in modern
political philosophy-one very much needed today.
The study of the physical world had its origins in philosophy, and,
two-and-one-half millennia later, the scientific advances of the
twentieth century are bringing the two fields closer together
again. So argues Lawrence Sklar in this brilliant new text on the
philosophy of physics.Aimed at students of both disciplines,
Philosophy of Physics is a broad overview of the problems of
contemporary philosophy of physics that readers of all levels of
sophistication should find accessible and engaging. Professor
Sklar's talent for clarity and accuracy is on display throughout as
he guides students through the key problems: the nature of space
and time, the problems of probability and irreversibility in
statistical mechanics, and, of course, the many notorious problems
raised by quantum mechanics.Integrated by the theme of the
interconnectedness of philosophy and science, and linked by many
references to the history of both disciplines, Philosophy of
Physics is always clear, while remaining faithful to the complexity
and integrity of the issues. It will take its place as a classic
text in a field of fundamental intellectual importance.
An updated and expanded edition of the classic introduction to
PPE-philosophy, politics, and economics-coauthored by one of the
field's pioneers Philosophy, Politics, and Economics offers a
complete introduction to the fundamental tools and concepts of
analysis that PPE students need to study social and political
issues. This fully updated and expanded edition examines the core
methodologies of rational choice, strategic analysis, norms, and
collective choice that serve as the bedrocks of political
philosophy and the social sciences. The textbook is ideal for
advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and nonspecialists
looking to familiarize themselves with PPE's approaches. Starting
with individual choice, the book develops an account of rationality
to introduce readers to decision theory, utility theory, and
concepts of welfare economics and consumer choice theory. It moves
to strategic choice in game theory to explore such issues as
bargaining theory, repeated games, and evolutionary game theory.
The text also considers how social norms can be understood,
observed, and measured. Concluding chapters address collective
choice, social choice theory and democracy, and public choice
theory's connections to voters, representatives, and institutions.
Rigorous and comprehensive, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
continues to be an essential text for this popular and burgeoning
field. The only book that covers the entirety of PPE methods A
rigorous, nontechnical introduction to decision theory, game
theory, and positive political theory A philosophical introduction
to rational choice theory in the social sciences
When people of good faith and sound mind disagree deeply about
moral, religious, and other philosophical matters, how can we
justify political institutions to all of them? The idea of public
reason-of a shared public standard, despite disagreement-arose in
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the work of Hobbes,
Locke, Rousseau, and Kant. At a time when John Rawls' influential
theory of public reason has come under fire but its core idea
remains attractive to many, it is important not to lose sight of
earlier philosophers' answers to the problem of private conflict
through public reason. The distinctive selections from the great
social contract theorists in this volume emphasize the pervasive
theme of intractable disagreement and the need for public
justification. New essays by leading scholars then put the
historical work in context and provide a focus of debate and
discussion. They also explore how the search for public reason has
informed a wider body of modern political theory-in the work of
Hume, Hegel, Bentham, and Mill-sometimes in surprising ways. The
idea of public reason is revealed as an overarching theme in modern
political philosophy-one very much needed today.
This volume brings together distinguished philosophers with
interdisciplinary expertise to show how the resources of philosophy
can be employed in the tasks of evaluating economics and fostering
policy debates. Contributors offer analyses of basic ideas in
economics, such as the notion of efficiency, "economic man,"
incentives, self-interest, and utility maximization. They discuss
key concepts in political theory such as desert, compensation,
autonomy, equality, consent or fairness. The book then offers
examples of how philosophical resources can be applied to specific,
timely debates, such as discrimination, affirmative action, and
ethical considerations in Social Security. These applications
demonstrate how philosophy, politics, and economics can be
fruitfully combined, while the more theoretical chapters clarify
fundamental relationships across these related disciplines.
Ultimately, the text guides students and scholars in expanding
their perspectives as they approach the necessarily complex
research questions of today and tomorrow.
"Political Concepts and Political Theories" introduces political
theory by focusing on enduring disputes about the nature of
freedom, power, equality, justice, democracy, and authority. The
first part of the book examines the nature of these disputes. It
clarifies what we are disagreeing about when we offer different
interpretations of political concepts, and why our disagreements
about them are so difficult to resolve. Providing accessible
accounts of the views of Plato, Wittgenstein, and recent theorists
such as Gallie, Gaus argues that our interpretation of a political
concept such as liberty is not freestanding but linked to our
understandings of power, equality, justice, democracy, and other
values. To understand a particular political concept, Gaus argues,
we must place it in a political theory, which constitutes a system
of such concepts. The second part of the book examines the ways in
which liberal, socialist, and conservative thinkers have
interpreted these enduring political concepts. Gaus considers a
wide range of classical and contemporary advocates of these
theories."Political Concepts and Political Theories" presents in an
accessible way an innovative approach to the analysis of political
concepts and the study of political theory. As such, it will be of
interest both to those looking at political concepts and political
theories for the first time, as well as to scholars who have
already examined these issues.
In his provocative new book, The Tyranny of the Ideal, Gerald Gaus
lays out a vision for how we should theorize about justice in a
diverse society. Gaus shows how free and equal people, faced with
intractable struggles and irreconcilable conflicts, might share a
common moral life shaped by a just framework. He argues that if we
are to take diversity seriously and if moral inquiry is sincere
about shaping the world, then the pursuit of idealized and perfect
theories of justice--essentially, the entire production of theories
of justice that has dominated political philosophy for the past
forty years--needs to change. Drawing on recent work in social
science and philosophy, Gaus points to an important paradox: only
those in a heterogeneous society--with its various religious,
moral, and political perspectives--have a reasonable hope of
understanding what an ideally just society would be like. However,
due to its very nature, this world could never be collectively
devoted to any single ideal. Gaus defends the moral constitution of
this pluralistic, open society, where the very clash and
disagreement of ideals spurs all to better understand what their
personal ideals of justice happen to be. Presenting an original
framework for how we should think about morality, The Tyranny of
the Ideal rigorously analyzes a theory of ideal justice more
suitable for contemporary times.
This volume brings together distinguished philosophers with
interdisciplinary expertise to show how the resources of philosophy
can be employed in the tasks of evaluating economics and fostering
policy debates. Contributors offer analyses of basic ideas in
economics, such as the notion of efficiency, "economic man,"
incentives, self-interest, and utility maximization. They discuss
key concepts in political theory such as desert, compensation,
autonomy, equality, consent or fairness. The book then offers
examples of how philosophical resources can be applied to specific,
timely debates, such as discrimination, affirmative action, and
ethical considerations in Social Security. These applications
demonstrate how philosophy, politics, and economics can be
fruitfully combined, while the more theoretical chapters clarify
fundamental relationships across these related disciplines.
Ultimately, the text guides students and scholars in expanding
their perspectives as they approach the necessarily complex
research questions of today and tomorrow.
An updated and expanded edition of the classic introduction to
PPE-philosophy, politics, and economics-coauthored by one of the
field's pioneers Philosophy, Politics, and Economics offers a
complete introduction to the fundamental tools and concepts of
analysis that PPE students need to study social and political
issues. This fully updated and expanded edition examines the core
methodologies of rational choice, strategic analysis, norms, and
collective choice that serve as the bedrocks of political
philosophy and the social sciences. The textbook is ideal for
advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and nonspecialists
looking to familiarize themselves with PPE's approaches. Starting
with individual choice, the book develops an account of rationality
to introduce readers to decision theory, utility theory, and
concepts of welfare economics and consumer choice theory. It moves
to strategic choice in game theory to explore such issues as
bargaining theory, repeated games, and evolutionary game theory.
The text also considers how social norms can be understood,
observed, and measured. Concluding chapters address collective
choice, social choice theory and democracy, and public choice
theory's connections to voters, representatives, and institutions.
Rigorous and comprehensive, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
continues to be an essential text for this popular and burgeoning
field. The only book that covers the entirety of PPE methods A
rigorous, nontechnical introduction to decision theory, game
theory, and positive political theory A philosophical introduction
to rational choice theory in the social sciences
In his provocative new book, The Tyranny of the Ideal, Gerald Gaus
lays out a vision for how we should theorize about justice in a
diverse society. Gaus shows how free and equal people, faced with
intractable struggles and irreconcilable conflicts, might share a
common moral life shaped by a just framework. He argues that if we
are to take diversity seriously and if moral inquiry is sincere
about shaping the world, then the pursuit of idealized and perfect
theories of justice-essentially, the entire production of theories
of justice that has dominated political philosophy for the past
forty years-needs to change. Drawing on recent work in social
science and philosophy, Gaus points to an important paradox: only
those in a heterogeneous society-with its various religious, moral,
and political perspectives-have a reasonable hope of understanding
what an ideally just society would be like. However, due to its
very nature, this world could never be collectively devoted to any
single ideal. Gaus defends the moral constitution of this
pluralistic, open society, where the very clash and disagreement of
ideals spurs all to better understand what their personal ideals of
justice happen to be. Presenting an original framework for how we
should think about morality, The Tyranny of the Ideal rigorously
analyzes a theory of ideal justice more suitable for contemporary
times.
Gerald Gaus was one of the leading liberal theorists of the late
twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. He developed a
pioneering defence of the liberal order based on its unique
capacity to handle diversity and disagreement, and he presses the
liberal tradition towards a principled openness to pluralism and
diversity. This book brings together Gaus's most seminal and
creative essays in a single volume for the first time. It also
covers a broad span of his career, including essays published
shortly before his death, and topics including reasonable
pluralism, moral rights, public reason, and the redistributive
state. The volume makes accessible the work of one of the most
important recent liberal theorists. Many readers will find it of
value, especially those in political philosophy, political science,
and economics.
A mere two decades ago it was widely assumed that liberal democracy
and the Open Society it created had decisively won their
century-long struggle against authoritarianism. Although subsequent
events have shocked many, F.A. Hayek would not have been surprised
that we are in many ways disoriented by the society we have
created. As he understood it, the Open Society was a precarious
achievement in many ways at odds with our deepest moral sentiments.
His path-breaking analyses argued that the Open Society runs
against our evolved attraction to "tribalism" that the Open Society
is too complex for moral justification; and that its self-organized
complexity defies attempts at democratic governance. In his final,
wide-ranging book, Gerald Gaus critically reexamines Hayek's
analyses. Drawing on diverse work in social and moral science, Gaus
argues that Hayek's program was manifestly prescient and strikingly
sophisticated, always identifying real and pressing problems. Yet,
Gaus maintains, Hayek underestimated the resources of human
morality and the Open Society to cope with the challenges he
perceived. Gaus marshals formal models and empirical evidence to
show that our Open Society is grounded on moral foundations of
human cooperation originating in our distant evolutionary past, but
has built upon them a complex and diverse society that requires us
to rethink both the nature of moral justification and the meaning
of democratic self-governance. In these fearful, angry and
inwardly-looking times, when political philosophy has itself become
a hostile exchange between ideological camps, The Open Society and
Its Complexities shows how moral and ideological diversity, so far
from being the enemy of a free and open society, can be its
foundation.
In this innovative and important work, Gerald Gaus advances a
revised, and more realistic, account of public reason liberalism,
showing how, in the midst of fundamental disagreement about values
and moral beliefs, we can achieve a moral and political order that
treats all as free and equal moral persons. The first part of this
work analyzes social morality as a system of authoritative moral
rules. Drawing on an earlier generation of moral philosophers such
as Kurt Baier and Peter Strawson as well as current work in the
social sciences, Gaus argues that our social morality is an evolved
social fact, which is the necessary foundation of a mutually
beneficial social order. The second part considers how this system
of social moral authority can be justified to all moral persons.
Drawing on the tools of game theory, social choice theory,
experimental psychology, and evolutionary theory, Gaus shows how a
free society can secure a moral equilibrium that is endorsed by
all, and how a just state respects, and develops, such an
equilibrium.
In this innovative and important work, Gerald Gaus advances a
revised and more realistic account of public reason liberalism,
showing how, in the midst of fundamental disagreement about values
and moral beliefs, we can achieve a moral and political order that
treats all as free and equal moral persons. The first part of this
work analyzes social morality as a system of authoritative moral
rules. Drawing on an earlier generation of moral philosophers such
as Kurt Baier and Peter Strawson as well as current work in the
social sciences, Gaus argues that our social morality is an evolved
social fact, which is the necessary foundation of a mutually
beneficial social order. The second part considers how this system
of social moral authority can be justified to all moral persons.
Drawing on the tools of game theory, social choice theory,
experimental psychology and evolutionary theory, Gaus shows how a
free society can secure a moral equilibrium that is endorsed by
all, and how a just state respects, and develops, such an
equilibrium.
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