James O'Toole
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195096446
- eISBN:
- 9780199854875
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195096446.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Public Management
This book uses political philosophy to examine the role of the corporation in our culture and its place in creating The Good Society. This book aims to provide business leaders with a practical ...
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This book uses political philosophy to examine the role of the corporation in our culture and its place in creating The Good Society. This book aims to provide business leaders with a practical “compass” to help them navigate the turbulent waters of social change and political conflict. The device helps managers to identify the ideological origins of contemporary political disagreements and understand the philosophical and ethical sources of our differences of opinion about such issues as executive compensation, plant closings, and environmental regulation. The beauty of this “compass” is that it provides a framework for the executive to create order out of the growing chaos of cultural diversity and conflict of values. It is aimed at expanding understanding of the interrelationship of fundamental values.Less
This book uses political philosophy to examine the role of the corporation in our culture and its place in creating The Good Society. This book aims to provide business leaders with a practical “compass” to help them navigate the turbulent waters of social change and political conflict. The device helps managers to identify the ideological origins of contemporary political disagreements and understand the philosophical and ethical sources of our differences of opinion about such issues as executive compensation, plant closings, and environmental regulation. The beauty of this “compass” is that it provides a framework for the executive to create order out of the growing chaos of cultural diversity and conflict of values. It is aimed at expanding understanding of the interrelationship of fundamental values.
N. Scott Arnold
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195088274
- eISBN:
- 9780199853014
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195088274.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This chapter begins by giving a definition of the terms capitalist economic system and socialist economic system. The former is defined using the concept of a free enterprise system, a system where ...
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This chapter begins by giving a definition of the terms capitalist economic system and socialist economic system. The former is defined using the concept of a free enterprise system, a system where most of the means of production are privately owned and where people are free to sell their labor in the market. The latter is harder to construct but in identifying the most common denominators among socialist systems, this chapter comes out with a system that prohibits most private ownership of the means of production and which mandates social control of the same. Dispute arises as to which system most approximates the concept of a good society. However, the complete theory of the good society is something which is rare to find and thus leads to issues in the criticism and defense of both economic systems. This chapter lays down the philosophical framework underlying the debate between capitalism and socialism.Less
This chapter begins by giving a definition of the terms capitalist economic system and socialist economic system. The former is defined using the concept of a free enterprise system, a system where most of the means of production are privately owned and where people are free to sell their labor in the market. The latter is harder to construct but in identifying the most common denominators among socialist systems, this chapter comes out with a system that prohibits most private ownership of the means of production and which mandates social control of the same. Dispute arises as to which system most approximates the concept of a good society. However, the complete theory of the good society is something which is rare to find and thus leads to issues in the criticism and defense of both economic systems. This chapter lays down the philosophical framework underlying the debate between capitalism and socialism.
Yuriko Saito
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199278350
- eISBN:
- 9780191707001
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199278350.003.0006
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
Our aesthetic judgments in everyday life are often intertwined with moral judgments, such as personal appearance, condition of one's possessions, and environmental eyesores. We also make ...
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Our aesthetic judgments in everyday life are often intertwined with moral judgments, such as personal appearance, condition of one's possessions, and environmental eyesores. We also make moral-aesthetic judgments on artifacts by considering how user-friendly artifacts and environments respond to the specific needs of the intended users with care, respect, and consideration through their sensuous surface and design features. Less obvious are the designed objects and environments that enrich the content of the users' experiences through sensitivity to their bodily engagement and the temporal dimension of the experience, typically embodied in green buildings, as well as gardens, the tea ceremony, food serving, and packaging in the Japanese tradition. These aesthetic manifestations of moral values indicate the significance of the aesthetic in everyday life in promoting a good life, and how sensitively and caringly designed environments and artifacts must be an essential ingredient of a good society.Less
Our aesthetic judgments in everyday life are often intertwined with moral judgments, such as personal appearance, condition of one's possessions, and environmental eyesores. We also make moral-aesthetic judgments on artifacts by considering how user-friendly artifacts and environments respond to the specific needs of the intended users with care, respect, and consideration through their sensuous surface and design features. Less obvious are the designed objects and environments that enrich the content of the users' experiences through sensitivity to their bodily engagement and the temporal dimension of the experience, typically embodied in green buildings, as well as gardens, the tea ceremony, food serving, and packaging in the Japanese tradition. These aesthetic manifestations of moral values indicate the significance of the aesthetic in everyday life in promoting a good life, and how sensitively and caringly designed environments and artifacts must be an essential ingredient of a good society.
James ƠToole
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195096446
- eISBN:
- 9780199854875
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195096446.003.0004
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Public Management
This chapter discusses the trade-offs necessary between the four ideas discussed in the previous chapters: liberty, equality, efficiency, and community. Of particular importance are the liberty ...
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This chapter discusses the trade-offs necessary between the four ideas discussed in the previous chapters: liberty, equality, efficiency, and community. Of particular importance are the liberty versus equality trade-off and the community versus efficiency trade-off. The chapter discusses the balance of power and the attempt to reconcile these conflicting values. The chapter cites democracy as one process that can reconcile such values in The Good Society. It discusses the three main principles of democratic justice: voice, power, and respect. However, the chapter also explains that democratization remains incomplete due to the people not actively practicing it. The chapter also explores the idea of plebiscitary democracy compared to direct democracy and the effects it may have on the people.Less
This chapter discusses the trade-offs necessary between the four ideas discussed in the previous chapters: liberty, equality, efficiency, and community. Of particular importance are the liberty versus equality trade-off and the community versus efficiency trade-off. The chapter discusses the balance of power and the attempt to reconcile these conflicting values. The chapter cites democracy as one process that can reconcile such values in The Good Society. It discusses the three main principles of democratic justice: voice, power, and respect. However, the chapter also explains that democratization remains incomplete due to the people not actively practicing it. The chapter also explores the idea of plebiscitary democracy compared to direct democracy and the effects it may have on the people.
Joshua Yates and James Davison Hunter (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199769063
- eISBN:
- 9780199896851
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199769063.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Economic Sociology
This book is about the seminal importance of thrift to American culture and history. Underpinning the diversity of disciplinary perspectives presented in this volume are two overarching claims. ...
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This book is about the seminal importance of thrift to American culture and history. Underpinning the diversity of disciplinary perspectives presented in this volume are two overarching claims. First, far from the narrow rendering of thrift as a synonym of saving and scrimping, thrift possesses a surprising capaciousness and dynamism. Second, the idiom of thrift has, in one form or another, served as the primary language for articulating the normative dimensions of economic life throughout much of American history. This book puts thrift in this more expansive light where it reveals its rich and compelling etymology: thrift originally referred to the condition of “thriving.” This deeper meaning has always operated as the subtext of thrift and at times has even been invoked to critique more restricted notions of thrift. So understood, thrift moves beyond the instrumentalities of “more or less” and begs the question: what does it mean and take to thrive? Examining how Americans have answered this question not only provides insight into evolving meanings of material well-being, but also into the changing understandings of the good life and the good society more generally. In the chapters here, thrift becomes a powerful, but evolving moral idea and practice that has indelibly marked the character of American life since its earliest days. Thrift remains, if perhaps in unexpected and counter-intuitive ways, a key to the complex issues of contemporary and economic life.Less
This book is about the seminal importance of thrift to American culture and history. Underpinning the diversity of disciplinary perspectives presented in this volume are two overarching claims. First, far from the narrow rendering of thrift as a synonym of saving and scrimping, thrift possesses a surprising capaciousness and dynamism. Second, the idiom of thrift has, in one form or another, served as the primary language for articulating the normative dimensions of economic life throughout much of American history. This book puts thrift in this more expansive light where it reveals its rich and compelling etymology: thrift originally referred to the condition of “thriving.” This deeper meaning has always operated as the subtext of thrift and at times has even been invoked to critique more restricted notions of thrift. So understood, thrift moves beyond the instrumentalities of “more or less” and begs the question: what does it mean and take to thrive? Examining how Americans have answered this question not only provides insight into evolving meanings of material well-being, but also into the changing understandings of the good life and the good society more generally. In the chapters here, thrift becomes a powerful, but evolving moral idea and practice that has indelibly marked the character of American life since its earliest days. Thrift remains, if perhaps in unexpected and counter-intuitive ways, a key to the complex issues of contemporary and economic life.
James ƠToole
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195096446
- eISBN:
- 9780199854875
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195096446.003.0002
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Public Management
This chapter opens with the problem of how, with the advent of modern democracy, no executive decision ever satisfies everyone. It also discusses the concept of the good society as one that is ...
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This chapter opens with the problem of how, with the advent of modern democracy, no executive decision ever satisfies everyone. It also discusses the concept of the good society as one that is abstract and subjective, being defined in terms of justice. Essentially, a good society is a just society because the rights of every citizen are secured. The chapter also states how philosophers have defined the good or just society and the different permutations and variations of such definitions, even amounting to stark disagreements. It also discusses collective dreams or awake dreams as part of national character. These dreams are Liberty, Equality, Efficiency, and Community, making up the four “great themes of political argument”. The purpose of this book is to overcome the value conflicts resulting from different people having different dreams.Less
This chapter opens with the problem of how, with the advent of modern democracy, no executive decision ever satisfies everyone. It also discusses the concept of the good society as one that is abstract and subjective, being defined in terms of justice. Essentially, a good society is a just society because the rights of every citizen are secured. The chapter also states how philosophers have defined the good or just society and the different permutations and variations of such definitions, even amounting to stark disagreements. It also discusses collective dreams or awake dreams as part of national character. These dreams are Liberty, Equality, Efficiency, and Community, making up the four “great themes of political argument”. The purpose of this book is to overcome the value conflicts resulting from different people having different dreams.
Fred Dallmayr
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813124575
- eISBN:
- 9780813134994
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813124575.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This chapter discusses an alternative conception that is traceable to Athens and Jerusalem and which stands in stark opposition to the modern glorification of sovereign power, totalizing ideologies, ...
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This chapter discusses an alternative conception that is traceable to Athens and Jerusalem and which stands in stark opposition to the modern glorification of sovereign power, totalizing ideologies, and abstract procedures. It introduces Walter Lippmann, the author of The Good Society and pursues his argument in greater detail to see precisely how he wanted to obviate modern ills. It looks at a more recent reformulation of the idea of a “good society” and finally explores the implications of these initiatives in the present era.Less
This chapter discusses an alternative conception that is traceable to Athens and Jerusalem and which stands in stark opposition to the modern glorification of sovereign power, totalizing ideologies, and abstract procedures. It introduces Walter Lippmann, the author of The Good Society and pursues his argument in greater detail to see precisely how he wanted to obviate modern ills. It looks at a more recent reformulation of the idea of a “good society” and finally explores the implications of these initiatives in the present era.
N. Scott Arnold
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195088274
- eISBN:
- 9780199853014
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195088274.003.0008
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Political Philosophy
The problem posed by this chapter is whether or not there are other market socialist systems that do not face the difficulties found in the last two chapters. The first suggestion of the chapter is ...
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The problem posed by this chapter is whether or not there are other market socialist systems that do not face the difficulties found in the last two chapters. The first suggestion of the chapter is to explore the possibilities of changes of equity ownership in the market socialist system. The suggestion stems from the fact that one of the most serious weaknesses of the worker control-state ownership model is that the capital provider is not the ultimate decision-making authority and residual claimant. By contrast, one of the salient advantages of the characteristic organizations of a free enterprise system is that its functions are all joined. In other words, the latter organizations, unlike the organizations in the worker control-state ownership model, have equity owners. Thus, in the classical capitalist firm and the open corporation, those who are ultimate decision makers and residual claimants cannot exploit the primary providers of capital because they are the primary providers of capital. Other forms of ownership in the market socialist economy are also suggested. Finally this chapter goes back to the socialist vision of a good society. While the socialist system is able to eliminate alienation in the workplace, this is not enough to compensate for its failure as an alternative to capitalism. This chapter sees a defeat of socialism and a limited victory for capitalism.Less
The problem posed by this chapter is whether or not there are other market socialist systems that do not face the difficulties found in the last two chapters. The first suggestion of the chapter is to explore the possibilities of changes of equity ownership in the market socialist system. The suggestion stems from the fact that one of the most serious weaknesses of the worker control-state ownership model is that the capital provider is not the ultimate decision-making authority and residual claimant. By contrast, one of the salient advantages of the characteristic organizations of a free enterprise system is that its functions are all joined. In other words, the latter organizations, unlike the organizations in the worker control-state ownership model, have equity owners. Thus, in the classical capitalist firm and the open corporation, those who are ultimate decision makers and residual claimants cannot exploit the primary providers of capital because they are the primary providers of capital. Other forms of ownership in the market socialist economy are also suggested. Finally this chapter goes back to the socialist vision of a good society. While the socialist system is able to eliminate alienation in the workplace, this is not enough to compensate for its failure as an alternative to capitalism. This chapter sees a defeat of socialism and a limited victory for capitalism.
Charles T Mathewes and Christopher McKnight Nichols (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195342536
- eISBN:
- 9780199867042
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195342536.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This book explores the surprisingly similar expectations of religious and moral change voiced by major American thinkers from the time of the Puritans to modern times. These predictions of ...
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This book explores the surprisingly similar expectations of religious and moral change voiced by major American thinkers from the time of the Puritans to modern times. These predictions of “godlessness” in American society — sometimes by those favoring the foreseen future, sometimes by those fearing it — have a history as old as America, and indeed seem crucially intertwined with it. This book shows that there have been and continue to be patterns to these prophesies. They determine how some people perceive and analyze America's prospective moral and religious future, how they express themselves, and powerfully affect how others hear them. While these patterns have taken a sinuous and at times subterranean route to the present, when we think about the future of America we are thinking about that future largely with terms and expectations first laid out by past generations, some stemming back before the very foundations of the United States. Even contemporary atheists and those who predict optimistic techno-utopias rely on scripts that are deeply rooted in the American past. This book excavates the history of these prophesies. Each chapter attends to a particular era, and each is organized around a focal individual, a community of thought, and changing conceptions of secularization. Each chapter also discusses how such predictions are part of all thought about “the good society,” and how such thinking structures our apprehension of the present, forming a feedback loop of sorts.Less
This book explores the surprisingly similar expectations of religious and moral change voiced by major American thinkers from the time of the Puritans to modern times. These predictions of “godlessness” in American society — sometimes by those favoring the foreseen future, sometimes by those fearing it — have a history as old as America, and indeed seem crucially intertwined with it. This book shows that there have been and continue to be patterns to these prophesies. They determine how some people perceive and analyze America's prospective moral and religious future, how they express themselves, and powerfully affect how others hear them. While these patterns have taken a sinuous and at times subterranean route to the present, when we think about the future of America we are thinking about that future largely with terms and expectations first laid out by past generations, some stemming back before the very foundations of the United States. Even contemporary atheists and those who predict optimistic techno-utopias rely on scripts that are deeply rooted in the American past. This book excavates the history of these prophesies. Each chapter attends to a particular era, and each is organized around a focal individual, a community of thought, and changing conceptions of secularization. Each chapter also discusses how such predictions are part of all thought about “the good society,” and how such thinking structures our apprehension of the present, forming a feedback loop of sorts.
N. Scott Arnold
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195088274
- eISBN:
- 9780199853014
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195088274.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This chapter discusses the opportunities for exploitation in a large cooperative setting. Ideally, other than in terms of sheer size, the differences between large cooperatives and smaller ...
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This chapter discusses the opportunities for exploitation in a large cooperative setting. Ideally, other than in terms of sheer size, the differences between large cooperatives and smaller cooperatives do not appear to be that great. Indeed, in principle, smaller cooperatives could also have a workers' council. Though the two types of cooperatives are similar in many respects, the comparable capitalist organization, the open corporation, is dramatically different from its smaller cousin, the classical capitalist firm. Following the comparison, this chapter identifies various areas where exploitation may occur in the large cooperative setting. Such areas include the firm-market boundary, state organizations, state control of new investment, and in the valuation of assets. Following the discussion on exploitation, this chapter surmises that due to the presence of exploitation, a form of injustice, in the market socialist economy, the system might not be the most conducive system towards a good society.Less
This chapter discusses the opportunities for exploitation in a large cooperative setting. Ideally, other than in terms of sheer size, the differences between large cooperatives and smaller cooperatives do not appear to be that great. Indeed, in principle, smaller cooperatives could also have a workers' council. Though the two types of cooperatives are similar in many respects, the comparable capitalist organization, the open corporation, is dramatically different from its smaller cousin, the classical capitalist firm. Following the comparison, this chapter identifies various areas where exploitation may occur in the large cooperative setting. Such areas include the firm-market boundary, state organizations, state control of new investment, and in the valuation of assets. Following the discussion on exploitation, this chapter surmises that due to the presence of exploitation, a form of injustice, in the market socialist economy, the system might not be the most conducive system towards a good society.
Rowland Atkinson, Lisa Mckenzie, and Simon Winlow (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781447332022
- eISBN:
- 9781447332060
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447332022.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
What would it take to make society better? For the majority, conditions are getting worse and this will continue unless strong action is taken. This book offers a wide range of expert opinions ...
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What would it take to make society better? For the majority, conditions are getting worse and this will continue unless strong action is taken. This book offers a wide range of expert opinions outlining what might help to make better societies and which mechanisms, interventions, and evidence are needed when we think about a better society. The book looks at what is needed to prevent the proliferation of harm and the gradual collapse of civil society. It argues that social scientists need to cast aside their commitment to the established order and its ideological support systems, look ahead at the likely outcomes of various interventions and move to the forefront of informed political debate. Providing practical steps and policy programmes, this book is ideal for academics and students across a wide range of social science fields and those interested in social inequality.Less
What would it take to make society better? For the majority, conditions are getting worse and this will continue unless strong action is taken. This book offers a wide range of expert opinions outlining what might help to make better societies and which mechanisms, interventions, and evidence are needed when we think about a better society. The book looks at what is needed to prevent the proliferation of harm and the gradual collapse of civil society. It argues that social scientists need to cast aside their commitment to the established order and its ideological support systems, look ahead at the likely outcomes of various interventions and move to the forefront of informed political debate. Providing practical steps and policy programmes, this book is ideal for academics and students across a wide range of social science fields and those interested in social inequality.
Mike Berry
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199686506
- eISBN:
- 9780191766374
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199686506.003.0013
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, History of Economic Thought
This chapter reflects on the overarching ethical stance implicit in The Affluent Society, and further developed in Galbraith’s last book, The Good Society. His position is compared to the theory of ...
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This chapter reflects on the overarching ethical stance implicit in The Affluent Society, and further developed in Galbraith’s last book, The Good Society. His position is compared to the theory of social justice put forward by Amartya Sen and contrasted to that of John Rawls. Galbraith’s aim, as always, was to analyze modern capitalism in the attempt to improve it, a project that required a pragmatic grasp of both the political and ethical dimensions of life in ways that were noticeably absent from orthodox economics but which allowed the latter to dismiss him as ‘unscientific’. The moral challenges that Galbraith posed still resonate in the public policy context, especially as policymakers strive to avoid repetition of the mistakes that led the world to the bring of another Great Depression.Less
This chapter reflects on the overarching ethical stance implicit in The Affluent Society, and further developed in Galbraith’s last book, The Good Society. His position is compared to the theory of social justice put forward by Amartya Sen and contrasted to that of John Rawls. Galbraith’s aim, as always, was to analyze modern capitalism in the attempt to improve it, a project that required a pragmatic grasp of both the political and ethical dimensions of life in ways that were noticeably absent from orthodox economics but which allowed the latter to dismiss him as ‘unscientific’. The moral challenges that Galbraith posed still resonate in the public policy context, especially as policymakers strive to avoid repetition of the mistakes that led the world to the bring of another Great Depression.
David Phillips
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781861349132
- eISBN:
- 9781447302995
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781861349132.003.0003
- Subject:
- Social Work, Social Policy
Over the past decades, there has been a fierce debate among politicians and policy makers about what constitutes ‘the good society’. Among the visions of the so-called good society include: an ...
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Over the past decades, there has been a fierce debate among politicians and policy makers about what constitutes ‘the good society’. Among the visions of the so-called good society include: an all-encompassing universalist and collectivist welfare state and a minimalist state providing a safe social environment where families and individuals can freely pursue their interests. This chapter explores the manner in which policy is used to represent visions of ‘the good society’ and how this usage travels in the national and supranational arenas and the extent to which visions can become reality. From the perspective of the process of EU enlargement, the chapter views the relations between policies and values. It presents policy as a representation of a vision and as an expression of the fundamental aspirations of collectivities. It also raises key matters of competition and dialogue and the elements of policy that are increasingly becoming important in the globalising world.Less
Over the past decades, there has been a fierce debate among politicians and policy makers about what constitutes ‘the good society’. Among the visions of the so-called good society include: an all-encompassing universalist and collectivist welfare state and a minimalist state providing a safe social environment where families and individuals can freely pursue their interests. This chapter explores the manner in which policy is used to represent visions of ‘the good society’ and how this usage travels in the national and supranational arenas and the extent to which visions can become reality. From the perspective of the process of EU enlargement, the chapter views the relations between policies and values. It presents policy as a representation of a vision and as an expression of the fundamental aspirations of collectivities. It also raises key matters of competition and dialogue and the elements of policy that are increasingly becoming important in the globalising world.
Erin M. Cline
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231171557
- eISBN:
- 9780231539043
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231171557.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
This chapter serves as an introduction into the early Confucian notions about parent–child relationships, early childhood, and moral cultivation. It examines the close relationship between these ...
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This chapter serves as an introduction into the early Confucian notions about parent–child relationships, early childhood, and moral cultivation. It examines the close relationship between these three and the task of creating and maintaining a good society as it is presented in the best-known early Confucian texts—the Analects, the Mengzi, and the Xunzi. These texts not only emphasize the importance of moral cultivation, the unique role of parent–child relationships, and the importance of filial piety, but also the clear and direct relationship between the family and a good society. Through the analysis of the texts, the chapter also presents the different and unique insights of Kongzi, Mengzi, and Xunzi regarding the relationship between the family, moral education, and political philosophy.Less
This chapter serves as an introduction into the early Confucian notions about parent–child relationships, early childhood, and moral cultivation. It examines the close relationship between these three and the task of creating and maintaining a good society as it is presented in the best-known early Confucian texts—the Analects, the Mengzi, and the Xunzi. These texts not only emphasize the importance of moral cultivation, the unique role of parent–child relationships, and the importance of filial piety, but also the clear and direct relationship between the family and a good society. Through the analysis of the texts, the chapter also presents the different and unique insights of Kongzi, Mengzi, and Xunzi regarding the relationship between the family, moral education, and political philosophy.
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231159067
- eISBN:
- 9780231504171
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231159067.003.0012
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
This chapter focuses on the ruler “dwelling in the Way” by setting a good example for his people. It almost goes without saying that a good ruler will “dwell in the Way,” but the central theme of ...
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This chapter focuses on the ruler “dwelling in the Way” by setting a good example for his people. It almost goes without saying that a good ruler will “dwell in the Way,” but the central theme of this chapter is the malleability of the people's characters and their willingness to emulate a leader. Little or no responsibility for making an ordered society is given to the people themselves. Rather, they are described as passive—but willing—subjects that a good ruler will inspire. Thus, “dwelling in the Way” is “(causing the people to) dwell in the Way” as well. This chapter also considers the selflessness of virtue and the very little work involved for the virtuous ruler and asserts that those who can and want to learn vastly outnumber those who cannot or do not. Finally, it argues that a good society is possible with an orderly ruler and patience. The counter-examples of blind, deaf, and unteachable people are adduced to show that “the exception proves the rule”.Less
This chapter focuses on the ruler “dwelling in the Way” by setting a good example for his people. It almost goes without saying that a good ruler will “dwell in the Way,” but the central theme of this chapter is the malleability of the people's characters and their willingness to emulate a leader. Little or no responsibility for making an ordered society is given to the people themselves. Rather, they are described as passive—but willing—subjects that a good ruler will inspire. Thus, “dwelling in the Way” is “(causing the people to) dwell in the Way” as well. This chapter also considers the selflessness of virtue and the very little work involved for the virtuous ruler and asserts that those who can and want to learn vastly outnumber those who cannot or do not. Finally, it argues that a good society is possible with an orderly ruler and patience. The counter-examples of blind, deaf, and unteachable people are adduced to show that “the exception proves the rule”.
Erin M. Cline
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231171557
- eISBN:
- 9780231539043
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231171557.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
This chapter delves deeper into what early Confucian thinkers have to say about moral cultivation during childhood, especially in the earliest years of a child's life and youth. It presents three ...
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This chapter delves deeper into what early Confucian thinkers have to say about moral cultivation during childhood, especially in the earliest years of a child's life and youth. It presents three primary questions: First, to what extent is childhood moral cultivation an important part of the views of Kongzi, Mengzi, and Xunzi? Second, are the early years of a child's life viewed as a unique and irreplaceable opportunity for moral cultivation in early Confucianism? The third and final question is how childhood moral cultivation is related to the task of creating a good society. The chapter returns to the three seminal texts—the Analects, the Mengzi, and the Xunzi—and argues that they neglected insights on early moral cultivation. Through further analysis, the three texts suggest that the early Confucians say little about the topic and believe that early childhood is not an important time for ethical conditioning.Less
This chapter delves deeper into what early Confucian thinkers have to say about moral cultivation during childhood, especially in the earliest years of a child's life and youth. It presents three primary questions: First, to what extent is childhood moral cultivation an important part of the views of Kongzi, Mengzi, and Xunzi? Second, are the early years of a child's life viewed as a unique and irreplaceable opportunity for moral cultivation in early Confucianism? The third and final question is how childhood moral cultivation is related to the task of creating a good society. The chapter returns to the three seminal texts—the Analects, the Mengzi, and the Xunzi—and argues that they neglected insights on early moral cultivation. Through further analysis, the three texts suggest that the early Confucians say little about the topic and believe that early childhood is not an important time for ethical conditioning.
Rob Reich and Danielle Allen (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226012629
- eISBN:
- 9780226012933
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226012933.001.0001
- Subject:
- Education, Philosophy and Theory of Education
Education is a contested topic, and not just politically. For years scholars have approached it from two different points of view: one empirical, focused on explanations for student and school ...
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Education is a contested topic, and not just politically. For years scholars have approached it from two different points of view: one empirical, focused on explanations for student and school success and failure; and the other philosophical, focused on education's value and purpose within the larger society. Rarely have these separate approaches been brought into the same conversation. This book does just that, offering an intensive discussion by scholars across empirical and philosophical disciplines. The contributors explore how the institutions and practices of education can support democracy by creating the conditions for equal citizenship and egalitarian empowerment, and how they can advance justice by securing social mobility and cultivating the talents and interests of every individual. They then evaluate constraints on achieving the goals of democracy and justice in the educational arena, and identify strategies that we can employ to work through or around those constraints. More than a thorough compendium on a timely and contested topic, the book exhibits an entirely new, deeply composed way of thinking about education as a whole and its importance to a good society.Less
Education is a contested topic, and not just politically. For years scholars have approached it from two different points of view: one empirical, focused on explanations for student and school success and failure; and the other philosophical, focused on education's value and purpose within the larger society. Rarely have these separate approaches been brought into the same conversation. This book does just that, offering an intensive discussion by scholars across empirical and philosophical disciplines. The contributors explore how the institutions and practices of education can support democracy by creating the conditions for equal citizenship and egalitarian empowerment, and how they can advance justice by securing social mobility and cultivating the talents and interests of every individual. They then evaluate constraints on achieving the goals of democracy and justice in the educational arena, and identify strategies that we can employ to work through or around those constraints. More than a thorough compendium on a timely and contested topic, the book exhibits an entirely new, deeply composed way of thinking about education as a whole and its importance to a good society.
Albert Borgmann
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226066349
- eISBN:
- 9780226066356
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226066356.003.0015
- Subject:
- Philosophy, American Philosophy
This chapter argues that in order to discover the common and compelling vision of the good life and the good society that has beckoned and eluded us, we need to realize what ethics demands of us, in ...
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This chapter argues that in order to discover the common and compelling vision of the good life and the good society that has beckoned and eluded us, we need to realize what ethics demands of us, in both senses of realizing—we have yet to recognize the need for it, and unsurprisingly, we still have to give it a commanding and tangible shape. Like Jefferson, we should center our lives in our homes, among family, friends, and neighbors. Once we have gathered at the dinner table, wisdom and friendship can be ours, and they in turn can give us the courage to join with our neighbors in the design of a public realm that encourages celebration. Perhaps we can draw from common celebrations the generosity and resourcefulness to meet our obligations of justice and stewardship. Thus, the United States may become the country of grace that the people who came here have searched for and worked for.Less
This chapter argues that in order to discover the common and compelling vision of the good life and the good society that has beckoned and eluded us, we need to realize what ethics demands of us, in both senses of realizing—we have yet to recognize the need for it, and unsurprisingly, we still have to give it a commanding and tangible shape. Like Jefferson, we should center our lives in our homes, among family, friends, and neighbors. Once we have gathered at the dinner table, wisdom and friendship can be ours, and they in turn can give us the courage to join with our neighbors in the design of a public realm that encourages celebration. Perhaps we can draw from common celebrations the generosity and resourcefulness to meet our obligations of justice and stewardship. Thus, the United States may become the country of grace that the people who came here have searched for and worked for.
