Aligning Values and Politics argues that empowering individuals for self-actualization is an indispensable tool for attaining freedom; therefore, politics must align with the promotion of self-actualization. Private property rights have in the past helped people to develop skills, but such rights were abused. Once these rights are combined with an ethics of responsibility, the book opens the doors to a nonpartisan analysis of income inequality, inheritance, race relations, abortion and governance. The book argues that the American government is engaged in producing "bread and circuses," inducing people into living vicariously. Using the ideas of Immanuel Kant, the authors claim that we can return to a civil society that values independence rather than entitlements.
Autorentext
Michael Gendre has taught philosophy and ethics in colleges in and near Boston, as well as abroad. He sees Kant and Aristotle as compatible theorists for an ethics of responsibility.
Inhalt
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Preface,by Michael Gendre
1 Introduction: Empowering People Through Institutional Change
2 Manipulating People by Means of "Bread and Circuses;" Then and Now
3 The Philosophical Case for Limiting Government
4 Caring for Others Requires a Principle of Duty
5 Drawing the Line Between Self-Actualization and Our Duty to Others
6 Private Property Expands Our Opportunities
7 Imposing Restrictions on Inheritance
8 Using Property Rights to Better Understand Abortion and Adoption
9 The Market Is the Best Engine for Conflict Resolution
10 Discrimination As a Moral and Strategic Challenge
11 The Rise of Property Rights in Historical Context: Their Use and Misuse
12 Bringing Back Legitimacy to Government
13 Proposed Legal and Constitutional Changes
14 The Obstacles That We Still Face
15 The Road to Wealth Creation in a Society With Meaningful Lives
16 Imperialism as a Threat to American Governance
17 From Ancients to Moderns: Balancing Individual Rights and Duties to Others
Afterword and Summary in the Form of an Open Letter,by Nicolás Sánchez
Appendix A: Our Assumptions
Appendix B: Our Understanding of Scholarship
Appendix C: The Kantian Texts and Their Contexts
About the Authors
Bibliography
Index