Douglas Den Uyl - Böcker

"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.

This book explores the seventeenth-century philosopher Spinoza’s modernist humanism. There is little doubt that Spinoza was one of the principle founders of modernity, but his modernism is often thought to come at the expense of a humanism. Drawing attention to Spinoza’s humanism, this book concentrates on politics, ethics, and psychology in order to understand Spinoza’s conception of the human being, and why that conception endures into our own time with particular relevance. This introduction to Spinoza’s thought proceeds in a reverse order from the usual treatment: rather than beginning with a consideration of Spinoza’s metaphysics, the discussion culminates in an exploration of those concepts. In this way, this book is a deeper examination of what Spinoza himself thought, and allows the reader to consider more fully Spinoza’s wider philosophy.

Should corporations seek to alleviate social inequalities? Or should they, rather, aim solely for profit maximization? Most social thinkers writing on the topic of corporate social responsibility have assumed that the question has been settled, that indeed, corporations ought to act as mere trustees for society's wealth because they exist at the pleasure of society, and so should do its bidding.

Should corporations seek to alleviate social inequalities? Or should they, rather, aim solely for profit maximization? Most social thinkers writing on the topic of corporate social responsibility have assumed that the question has been settled, that indeed, corporations ought to act as mere trustees for society's wealth because they exist at the pleasure of society, and so should do its bidding.