Drugs and the limits of liberalism : moral and legal issues

Society's drug problem will persist, and debates over how to solve it will continue, getting nowhere, until we define our terms. This book is an effort to do just that―to parse the legal, moral, and philosophical underpinnings for any discussion of drug policy. Does liberal political theory, with its commitment to individual freedom, offer any guidance in the matter of drugs, particularly regarding their legal status? Do the commitments that citizens of liberal democracies make―commitments to ideals such as rationality, equality, justice, and democratic forms of decision-making―have implications for drug policy? These are the questions addressed in this volume, which explores the possibilities and limitations of philosophical reflection on this pressing, practical social issue. The authors, distinguished political and legal philosophers, search out the justification of policies that manage problems of drug consumption and social disintegration, but do so in keeping with the moral and political commitments of a liberal democratic society. Their subjects range from the rationality or irrationality of drug consumption to the scope of liberty; from the proper aims of legislation to the rhetoric of the war on drugs, particularly as deployed by former "Drug Czar" William Bennett. Society's drug problem will persist, and debates over how to solve it will continue, getting nowhere, until we define our terms. This book is an effort to do just that -- to parse the legal, moral, and philosophical underpinnings for any discussion of drug policy.Does liberal political theory, with its commitment to individual freedom, offer any guidance in the matter of drugs, particularly regarding their legal status? Do the commitments that citizens of liberal democracies make -- commitments to ideals such as rationality, equality, justice, and democratic forms of decision-making -- have implications for drug policy? These are the questions addressed in this volume, which explores the possibilities and limitations of philosophical reflection on this pressing, practical social issue.The authors, distinguished political and legal philosophers, search out the justification of policies that manage problems of drug consumption and social disintegration, but do so in keeping with the moral and political commitments of a liberal democratic society. Their subjects range from the rationality or irrationality of drug consumption to the scope of liberty; from the proper aims of legislation to the rhetoric of the war on drugs, particularly as deployed by former "Drug Czar" William Bennett. Society's Drug Problem Will Persist, And Debates Over Solutions Will Continue, Getting Nowhere, Until We Define Our Terms. This Book Is An Effort To Do Just That - To Parse The Legal, Moral, And Philosophical Underpinnings Of Any Discussion Of Drug Policy. A Unique Work In Political Philosophy, It Focuses Systematically On The Normative, Rather Than The Factual, Aspects Of The Problem.--jacket. Rationality And Addiction / Jon Elster -- The Irrationality Of Addiction And Does It Matter? / Thomas Pogge -- Liberty And Drugs / Michael Moore -- Liberalism, Inalienability, And Rights Of Drug Use / Samuel Freeman -- Drugs And Democracy / J. Donald Moon -- Drugs, National Sovereignty, And Democratic Legitimacy / Pablo De Greiff -- Drugs, The Nation, And Freelancing: Decoding The Moral Universe Of William Bennett / William E. Connolly. Edited By Pablo De Greiff. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 191-212) And Index.