John Christman is Professor of Philosophy, Political Science, and Women's Studies at Penn State University. He is the author of The Politics of Persons: Individual Autonomy and Socio-historical Selves and The Myth of Property: Toward an Egalitarian Theory of Ownership. He is also the editor of The Inner Citadel: Essays on Individual Autonomy and co-editor (with Joel Anderson) of Autonomy and the Challenges to Liberalism: New Essays.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments

1. Introduction

The Liberal Democratic Paradigm

Preliminaries I: Method

Preliminaries II: Moral Theory and Political Philosophy

Structure of the Book

Notes on Further Reading

2. Social Philosophy and the Road to the Political

What is Social Philosophy?

A Selection of Issues in Social Philosophy

From Social Criticism to Political Philosophy

Chapter Summary

Case to Consider

Notes on Further Reading

Part I. Basic Issues Within the Liberal Paradigm

3. The Problem of Political Authority

The Social Contract Tradition

Hobbes's Social Contract: Mechanism, Egoism, and Rationality

Locke: Reason, Morality, and Freedom

Lessons from Rousseau and Kant

From Consent to Legitimacy

Chapter Summary

Case to Consider

Notes on Further Reading

4. Distributive Justice

Distributive Justice and Equality

Libertarianism

Utilitarian Approaches to Economic Justice

Rawlsian Distributive Justice

Varieties of Egalitarianism

From Equality to the Welfare State

Chapter Summary

Case to Consider

Notes on Further Reading

5. Toleration, Pluralism, and the Foundations of Liberalism

The Canons of Liberalism

The Perfectionist Challenge

Utilitarian Liberalism: Perfectionism in Disguise?

The Response of Political Liberalism

Liberalism, Public Discourse, and Democracy

Chapter Summary

Case to Consider

Notes on Further Reading

Part II. Critique of the Liberal Paradigm: Challenges and Departures

6. Conservatism, Communitarianism, and The Social Conception of the Self

Conservatism

Communitarianism

Chapter Summary

Case to Consider

Notes on Further Reading

7. Race and the Politics of Identity

Ideal Theory and Ongoing Injustice

Critical Race Theory

What is Racism, What is Race?

Racism and The Structure of Liberalism

Liberalism, Freedom and Culture

Chapter Summary

Case to Consider

Notes on Further Reading

8. Feminism, Gender and Sexuality

Feminism

Sexuality and Gender Identity

Identity, Injustice, and Democracy

Chapter Summary

Case to Consider

Notes on Further Reading

9. Marxism and Radical Critique

The Legacy of Marx and Marxism

Post-Modern Departures

Chapter Summary

Case to Consider

Notes on Further Reading

10. Beyond the Nation State

Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism

Human Rights

Global Justice Generally

Injustice and Borders: Immigration

Chapter Summary

Case to Consider

Notes on Further Reading

Epilogue: The Hope of Liberalism?

This accessible book provides a broad survey of key social and political questions in modern society, as well as clear discussions of the philosophical issues central to political thought.