Douglas B. Rasmussen is Professor of Philosophy at St. John's University in New York City. Douglas J. Den Uyl is Vice President of Educational Programs at Liberty Fund in Indianapolis.

“Norms of Liberty is one of the most important works on liberalism in recent years. The fact that individuals have different views of the good life poses a fundamental dilemma for modern political philosophy. Liberals frequently adopt a stance of moral neutrality, suggestive of relativism, subjectivism, or skepticism, while their opponents advocate a substantive moral view at the expense of individual freedom. Rasmussen and Den Uyl present a brilliant solution by distinguishing between normative principles guiding individual moral conduct and metanormative principles that concern legislation. They argue compellingly that neo-Aristotelian perfectionist ethics can support liberal non-perfectionist politics.”—Fred D. Miller Jr., Social Philosophy and Policy Center, Bowling Green State University

• ContentsPrefacePart I: Liberalism and the Political Order1. Liberalism in Crisis2. Liberalism and Ethics3. Liberalism’s Past and Precedents4. Why Individual Rights? Rights as Metanormative Principles5. The Natural Right to Private PropertyPart II: A New Deep Structure for Liberalism6. Individualistic Perfectionism7. Defending Individualistic Perfectionism8. Natural Law and the Common Good9. Self-OwnershipPart III: Defending Liberalism10. Communitarian and Conservative Critics11. The Structure of the Argument for Individual Rights12. Defending Individualistic Non-Perfectionist PoliticsEpilogueIndex

Douglas B. Rasmussen is Professor of Philosophy at St. John's University in New York City. Douglas J. Den Uyl is Vice President of Educational Programs at Liberty Fund in Indianapolis.

“Norms of Liberty is one of the most important works on liberalism in recent years. The fact that individuals have different views of the good life poses a fundamental dilemma for modern political philosophy. Liberals frequently adopt a stance of moral neutrality, suggestive of relativism, subjectivism, or skepticism, while their opponents advocate a substantive moral view at the expense of individual freedom. Rasmussen and Den Uyl present a brilliant solution by distinguishing between normative principles guiding individual moral conduct and metanormative principles that concern legislation. They argue compellingly that neo-Aristotelian perfectionist ethics can support liberal non-perfectionist politics.”—Fred D. Miller Jr., Social Philosophy and Policy Center, Bowling Green State University

• ContentsPrefacePart I: Liberalism and the Political Order1. Liberalism in Crisis2. Liberalism and Ethics3. Liberalism’s Past and Precedents4. Why Individual Rights? Rights as Metanormative Principles5. The Natural Right to Private PropertyPart II: A New Deep Structure for Liberalism6. Individualistic Perfectionism7. Defending Individualistic Perfectionism8. Natural Law and the Common Good9. Self-OwnershipPart III: Defending Liberalism10. Communitarian and Conservative Critics11. The Structure of the Argument for Individual Rights12. Defending Individualistic Non-Perfectionist PoliticsEpilogueIndex

Douglas B. Rasmussen is Professor of Philosophy at St. John's University in New York City. Douglas J. Den Uyl is Vice President of Educational Programs at Liberty Fund in Indianapolis.

“Norms of Liberty is one of the most important works on liberalism in recent years. The fact that individuals have different views of the good life poses a fundamental dilemma for modern political philosophy. Liberals frequently adopt a stance of moral neutrality, suggestive of relativism, subjectivism, or skepticism, while their opponents advocate a substantive moral view at the expense of individual freedom. Rasmussen and Den Uyl present a brilliant solution by distinguishing between normative principles guiding individual moral conduct and metanormative principles that concern legislation. They argue compellingly that neo-Aristotelian perfectionist ethics can support liberal non-perfectionist politics.”—Fred D. Miller Jr., Social Philosophy and Policy Center, Bowling Green State University

• ContentsPrefacePart I: Liberalism and the Political Order1. Liberalism in Crisis2. Liberalism and Ethics3. Liberalism’s Past and Precedents4. Why Individual Rights? Rights as Metanormative Principles5. The Natural Right to Private PropertyPart II: A New Deep Structure for Liberalism6. Individualistic Perfectionism7. Defending Individualistic Perfectionism8. Natural Law and the Common Good9. Self-OwnershipPart III: Defending Liberalism10. Communitarian and Conservative Critics11. The Structure of the Argument for Individual Rights12. Defending Individualistic Non-Perfectionist PoliticsEpilogueIndex