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Before Resorting to Politics
Before Resorting to Politics is an original account of liberty and property which questions the morality and utility of political solutions and seeks to de-politicise society.
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Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
More Information
Before Resorting to Politics is an original account of liberty and property which questions the morality and utility of political solutions and seeks to de-politicise society.
Anthony de Jasay shows how politics tacitly claims that it is better if one part of society is made to gain at the expense of the other, than if neither part gains or loses. After a withering critique of consequentialism in politics, the author provides an original and terse analysis of liberty, coercion, the role of chance and deserts in the distribution of resources, common pool and private property and the freedom of contract. This essay concludes with a refutation of communitarian and social democratic arguments for calling the state to use its coercive powers.
Before Resorting to Politics shows how resorting to politics is a desperate remedy that causes civic cooperation to atrophy. Jasay assigns a new role to logic and ethics in defining the legitimate scope for government action.
Anthony de Jasay shows how politics tacitly claims that it is better if one part of society is made to gain at the expense of the other, than if neither part gains or loses. After a withering critique of consequentialism in politics, the author provides an original and terse analysis of liberty, coercion, the role of chance and deserts in the distribution of resources, common pool and private property and the freedom of contract. This essay concludes with a refutation of communitarian and social democratic arguments for calling the state to use its coercive powers.
Before Resorting to Politics shows how resorting to politics is a desperate remedy that causes civic cooperation to atrophy. Jasay assigns a new role to logic and ethics in defining the legitimate scope for government action.
Critical Acclaim
‘Anthony de Jasay’s short book contains more good sense about political theory than many treatises of enormously greater length. The author’s remarkable ability to clarify basic issues arouses my admiration and (I regret to say) jealousy.’
– David Gordon, The Mises Review
– David Gordon, The Mises Review
Contributors
Contents
Contents: 1. Introduction 2. In Doubt, Abstain 3. The Feasible is Presumed Free 4. Let Exclusion Stand 5. Confronting Community and Equality