Debating Democracy's Discontent: Essays on American Politics, Law, and Public Philosophy

by Anita L. Allen, Milton C. Regan

Overview

Here, a distinguished cast of some the world's finest political and legal theorists offer criticisms of Michael Sandel's Democracy's Discontent, a recent, popular, and influential call for a more moralistic democracy. In this collection, Sandel's liberal and feminist critics square off with his communitarian and civic republican sympathizers in a lively and wide-ranging discussion that spans constitutional law, culture, and political economy. Such practical, topical issues as immigration, gay marriage, federalism, adoption, abortion, corporate speech, militias, and economic disparity are debated alongside theories of civic virtue, citizenship, identity, and community. Not only does Debating Democracy's Discontent afford the most comprehensive and insightful critique to date of Sandel's volume, it also makes a significant, substantive contribution to contemporary political and legal philosophy in its own right. This book will prove essential to all who are interested in the future of American politics, law, and public philosophy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198294962
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	03/04/1999
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	408
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 6.10(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	1560L (what's this?)

About the Author

Anita L. Allen is Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship at Georgetown University Law Center. Milton C. Regan, Jr., is Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Quest for a Post-Liberal Public Philosophy, Ronald BeinerPART 1. REVIVING CIVIC VIRTUE1. . The Retrieval of Civic Virtue: A Critical Appreciation of Sandel's Democracy's Discontent, Thomas L. Pangle2. Virtue En Mass, Jeremy Waldron3. Reworking Sandel's Republicanism, Philip PettitPART 2. TOWARD AN AMERICAN PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY4. Political Economy and the Politics of Virtue: US Public Philosophy at Century's End, William A. Galston5. The Encumbered American Self, Clifford Orwin6. A Public Philosophy for the Professional-Managerial Class, Mark Tushnet7. Notes of a Jewish Episcopalian: Gender as a Language of Class; Religion as a Dialect of Liberalism, Joan WilliamsPART 3. LIBERAL REPUBLICANISM8. A Defense of Minimalist Liberalism, Richard Rorty9. Michael Sandel and Richard Rorty: Two Models of the Republic, Richard Sennett10. Liberal Egalitarianism and Civic Republicanism: Friends or Enemies?, Will Kymlicka11. Moral Status and the Status of Morality in Political Liberalism, Andrew W. Siegel12. Sandel's Liberal Politics, Bruce FrohnenPART 4. LIVING WITH DIFFERENCE13. Michael Sandel's America, Michael Waltzer14. Moral Dialogues: A Communitarian Core Element, Amitai Etzioni15. Can This Republic be Saved?, Jean Bethke Elshtain and Christopher Beem16. Civic Republicanism and Civic Pluralism: The Silent Struggle of Michael Sandel, William Connolly17. Living with Difference, Charles TaylorPART 5. LAW, MORALS, AND PRIVATE LIVES18. Unencumbered Individuals and Embedded Selves: Reasons to Resist Dichotomous Thinking in Family Law, Mary Lyndon (Molly) Shanley19. The Right of Privacy in Sandel's Procedural Republic, James E. Fleming and Linda C. McClain20. Gay Marriage and Liberal Constitutionalism: Two Mistakes, Robin WestPART 6. SELF-GOVERNMENT AND DEMOCRATIC DISCONTENT21. Fusion Republicanism, Nancy L. Rosenblum22. Corporate Speech and Civic Virtue, Milton C. Regan, Jr23. Federalism as a Cure for Democracy's Discontent?, Mark TushnetPART 7. A REPLY TO MY CRITICS24. A Reply to My Critics, Michael J. Sandel