Liberty and Nature
Aristotelian Defense of Liberal Order
Open Court Publishing Co ,U.S.
Published on 1. November 1991
Book
Hardback
208 pages
978-0-8126-9119-1 (ISBN)
Description
"Liberty and Nature - an Aristotelian Defense of Liberal Order" describes the manner in which Aristotle's way of thinking has normally been understood as hostile to modern liberal, pluralistic, and commercial society. In opposition to this prevailing view, the authors set out to show that the Aristotelian approach to ethics supports the natural rights which forms the most secure basis for liberal principles. Rasmussen and Den Uyl lay the foundations of their thesis by rebutting the most prominent arguments against the Aristotelian approach; they then offer a new interpretation of the basic nature of Aristotelian ethics as a natural-end ethics in which the human flourishing is the ultimate moral standard. "Liberty and Nature" examines the concept of the common good in the light of theory of rights. The Aristotelian claim that the function of the state is the promotion of the common good is consistent with the Lockean claim that the function of the state is to protect the natural right to liberty in all its forms, for "the common good of a political community need not be a single goal that all men must strive to attain.
Rather, the common good need only be that set of conditions that allows for the well-being and self-actualization of the community's members". The authors provide a close analysis of the relation between Aristotelian friendship and commercial transactions. They also compare their own theory with alternative defences of liberal social orders.
Rather, the common good need only be that set of conditions that allows for the well-being and self-actualization of the community's members". The authors provide a close analysis of the relation between Aristotelian friendship and commercial transactions. They also compare their own theory with alternative defences of liberal social orders.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Chicago, IL
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-8126-9119-1 (9780812691191)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Author
Professor of Philosophy, Bellarmine College, Kentucky, USA
Content
Part 1 Gaining a Foothold: The Relativist Attack on Aristotelianism; A Formalistic Attack on Aristotelian Ethics; A Substantive Rationalist Critique of Aristotelianism. Part 2 In Defense of a Natural-End Ethics: Basic Features of an Aristotelian Ethics; The Is-Ought Problem; Aristotelian Normative Theory. Part 3 Natural Rights: The Classification and Characteristics of Rights - The Nature of Natural Rights, The Natural Right to Private Property. Part 4 Liberty and the Common Good: Individuality, Sociality, and the Common Good; Unity, Co-operation and the Common Good; The Limits of Social and Political Life; Common Enterprises; Finnis and the Common Good; Ends, Pluralism, and the Common Good; Norton and the Common Good. Part 5 Commercialism, Friendship and Liberty: Commerce and Friendship; Friendship and Contractarianism.