Contemporary political philosophy e.g. Martha Nussbaum, John Rawls and Amartya Sen tries to separate itself from other philosophical positions and frameworks. Now, Den Uyl and Rasmussen challenge this trend by moving away liberalism to what they call `individualistic perfectionism , creating a powerful new way to think about ethics.
'This work motivates a thorough reconsideration of the project of ethical theorizing. The Perfectionist Turn makes the individual the center of ethical gravity, anchoring moral value in the particulars of exercising agency rather than abstract conceptions owing their objectivity to universality. A subtle, illuminating metaethics of virtue is articulated in conjunction with the complementary political principles.'
Jonathan Jacobs, The City University of New York
'This outstanding work develops an illuminating contrast between moralities that arise from the "template" of responsibility for one's self-perfection and moralities that arise from the "template" of respect for persons at large. The authors defend the responsibility approach - especially through their sustained, innovative, and nuanced case for a highly individualistic moral perfectionism.'
Eric Mack, Tulane University
'The Perfectionist Turn offers a powerful defense of perfectionism itself, and demonstrates how ethics can be independent of yet in rapport with politics.'
Fred D. Miller, Jr, University of Arizona
A profound and vital alternative to contemporary political and ethical theorizing
Contemporary political philosophy - especially in the works of Martha Nussbaum, John Rawls, and Amartya Sen - has assumed it can separate itself off from more comprehensive philosophical positions and frameworks. In this book Den Uyl and Rasmussen challenge this trend by moving from the liberalism they advocate in their earlier work to what they call 'individualistic perfectionism' in ethics. They continue to challenge the assumption that a neo-Aristotelian ethical framework cannot support a liberal, non-perfectionist political theory by filling in the nature of the perfectionist ethical approach utilised in their previous political theorizing. By developing the central features and principles of individualistic perfectionism they show that it is a major and powerful alternative to much contemporary ethical thinking - particularly to constructivism - and that it is capable of overcoming standard objections to perfectionism.
Douglas J. Den Uyl is Vice President of Educational Programs at Liberty Fund, Inc., Indianapolis. He has published essays and books on Spinoza, Smith, Shaftesbury, Mandeville and others. He co-founded (with Douglas B. Rasmussen) the American Association for the Philosophic Study of Society and is co-founder of The North American Spinoza Society and The International Adam Smith Society. Douglas B. Rasmussen is Professor of Philosophy at St John's University, New York City. He is the author of numerous articles in various philosophical journals and books as well as co-author (with Douglas J. Den Uyl) of Norms of Liberty. His research interests are in ethics, political philosophy, epistemology, ontology, and political economy.
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