Good Life and the Good State

A Neo-Aristotelian Theory of Government

Inbunden, Engelska, 2025

1 254 kr

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Beskrivning

There is no good human life outside of a state, and the good state enables us to live well together – so says Constitutivism, the theory developed in this book. Reinvigorating Aristotelian ideas, the author asks in what sense citizens of modern, populous and pluralistic societies share a common good. While we can easily find examples of cooperation that benefit each member, such as insurances, the idea that persons could share a common good became puzzling with modernity – a puzzlement epitomised in Margaret Thatcher’s ‘What is society? There is no such thing!’ This puzzlement, the author argues, results from our profoundly modern understanding of rational actions, which we see as means toward outcomes. If we allow that not only outcomes but also histories and identities can be good reasons for actions, then it makes sense to see a person’s good and the common good of their political community as constitutive of one another, as Aristotle thought. Building on this idea, the author argues that in designing our institutions, we also give ourselves an identity – in other words, we constitute ourselves as persons.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2025-01-14
Mått:153 x 229 x 13 mm
Vikt:454 g
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Antal sidor:152
Förlag:Anthem Press
ISBN:9781839992834

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Mer om författaren

Katharina Nieswandt is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Concordia University in Montreal. She specialises in metaethics and political theory.

Recensioner i media

“Katharina Nieswandt’s The Good Life and the Good State is a groundbreaking work revitalizing ancient political philosophy for contemporary philosophy. Drawing on the insights of neo-Aristotelian ethical theory, Nieswandt offers a compelling argument for the state’s role in enabling human flourishing. Her approach addresses a crucial gap in modern political thought, posing a challenge as profound as Anscombe’s critique of modern moral philosophy. The book’s innovative perspective and potential to reshape our understanding of community and individual flourishing make it essential for anyone engaged with political philosophy and virtue ethics.” — John Hacker-Wright, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Guelph

Innehållsförteckning

Introduction; 1. My good against the common good?; 2.From ancient city to modern nation state; 3.What is a common good?; 4. What is a state? Why have one?; 5. Reasons for institutions; 6. Collective and personal identity; 7. Constitutivism as a holistic alternative; Acknowledgments; Bibliography; Index