Partisan or Neutral? critically examines the Rawlsian ideal of a public, supposedly neutral, political theory meant to justify contemporary constitutional democracies. Placing this ideal-appealed to by neo-natural law theorists and advocates of 'public theology' as well as by political theorists-against the background of the history of political liberalism, White shows its contradictory nature. He argues that any such legitimating theory will be 'partisan,' in the sense of appealing to convictions concerning the human good that will not be universally accepted. He concludes that all politics must be imperfect-a matter of pragmatism and prudence in forming the most workable compromises possible and in acquiescing, where our principles allow us to do so, in situations that are often far from optimal.

Michael White is an entrepreneur who entered the business world out of Villanova University in 1975. Michael joined a very small engineering firm in Philadelphia and gradually made his way to the top of the firm, allowing him to implement his philosophy about running a small business. Michael grew the firm into one of the largest and most well-respected engineering firms in the Philadelphia area. At the same time, Michael was able to retire from the firm he built at the age of forty-eight. Today, Michael pursues his other hobbies and business interests, including theater, house flipping, real estate sales, and some engineering analysis.