Political Freedom : Pluralism, Unity, and the Civil Order

The purpose of this work is to discuss and explain the nature of political freedom. The approach is interdisciplinary, drawing from social theory, history, and law, as well as philosophy and political theory. The argument presented defends a view of political freedom as a social norm that has gained great prominence in those places where it has emerged through time as a social mechanism that supports social order and brings security to social life. Regarded as a social norm, political freedom promotes the toleration of the religious, cultural, ideological, and moral differences that generate normative conflict throughout society. The resultant understanding of political freedom therefore defends a distinction between political and personal freedom and separates the idea of political freedom from the individualism with which it is normally associated in most philosophical literature. The argument also indicates why it is appropriate to regard political freedom as a central virtue of social justice. Craig L. Carr is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University, USA.-- Provided by publisher Preface Contents 1 Introduction: The Good of Freedom Rationalist and Historicist Political Thought The Methodological Dilemma Freedom From and Freedom To Freedom and Its Theoretical Diaspora The Negative–Positive Freedom Debate The Liberal–Republican Freedom Dispute The Rationalist vs. Pluralist Freedom Question The Oppression vs. Slavery Issue The Journey Toward Political Freedom Bibliography 2 Agency and Social Ontology The Ontological Paradox Agency, Autonomy, and the Mystery of Action Agency and Social Theory Structuration and Ontological Conflation Reconciliation: Morphostasis and Morphogenesis Norm Circles Rules, Norms, and Social Practices Bibliography 3 The Metaphysics of Social Being Agency and Modernity The Internal Dialogue The Autonomy Thicket Strong Agency/Communal Autonomy Social Change and Group Mitosis Social Orders Bibliography 4 Personal Freedom: The Action Model Freedom and Action Freedom and Open Options Freedom, Action, and Restraint Freedom, Interests, and Desires Desire, Restraint, and Freedom Bibliography 5 Personal Freedom: The Culture Model Positive Freedom and Impermissible Action Coercion, Freedom, and Permissible Action Coercion IPR Conventions Personal Freedom The Good of Personal Freedom Freedom Complaints Bibliography 6 Political Freedom and Civil Order Social Theory and Normative Pluralism Social Stability and Political Practice The Liberal Principle The Morality of Political Freedom Prescriptive Reach Prescriptive Force Prescriptive Aim The Politics of Political Freedom Toleration, Morality, and Freedom Bibliography 7 Political Freedom and Social Justice Justice Thinking Justice Fields Civil Justice Socio-Economic Self-Determination and Equality Inclusion and Discrimination Forms of Discrimination Bibliography Index