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C. B. Macpherson was one of the leading political theorists in North America and perhaps the most influential voice on the left for a view of liberal democracy that was simultaneously sympathetic to its aspirations and critical of its achievements. His work provides the contributors to this volume with a common starting point from which to reflect upon the possibilities for critical perspectives on liberal democracy in light of the demise of its Marxist rival. The volume as a whole addresses the following questions: What (if anything) remains valid in previous left critiques of liberal democracy (including Marxist critiques)? And what new critical and constructive alternatives can the left offer to challenge the status quo? The contributors to this volume, from both the Anglo-American and Continental traditions, include Joseph Carens, William Connolly, Virginia Held, John Keane, Ernesto Laclau, William Leiss, Jane Mansbridge, Louise Marcil-Lacoste, Mihailo Markovic, Chantal Mouffe, Nancy Rosenblum, and James Tully.
Eminent political theorist Joseph Carens tests the limits of democratic theory in the realm of immigration, arguing that any acceptable immigration policy must be based on moral principles even if it conflicts with the will of the majority.
This text seeks to contribute to debates about multiculturalism and democratic theory. It reflects upon the ways in which claims about culture and identity are advanced by immigrants, national minorities, aboriginals and groups in different societies.
The relationship between liberalism and nationalism is of growing importance in many areas of the world. These essays simultaneously deepen our understanding of the specific case of Quebec and help to map a theoretical territory that, while vitally important in the modern world, is largely unexplored. Is Quebec Nationalism Just? will be of interest to those concerned with the relationship between Quebec and Canada as well as scholars in the fields of political theory, Canadian politics, constitutionalism, and public policy. Contents Liberalism, Justice, and Political Community: Theoretical Perspectives on Quebec's Liberal Nationalism - Joseph H. Carens (Toronto) - Immigration, Political Comm...
This book contributes to contemporary debates about multiculturalism and democratic theory by reflecting upon the ways in which claims about culture and identity are actually advanced by immigrants, national minorities, aboriginals and other groups in a number of different societies. Carens advocates a contextual approach to theory that explores the implications of theoretical views for actual cases, reflects on the normative principles embedded in practice, and takes account of the ways in which differences between societies matter. He argues that this sort of contextual approach will show why the conventional liberal understanding of justice as neutrality needs to be supplemented by a conception of justice as evenhandedness and why the conventional conception of citizenship is an intellectual and moral prison from which we can be liberated by an understanding of citizenship that is more open to multiplicity and that grows out of practices we judge to be just and beneficial.
The essays in this book by a group of leading political theorists assess and develop the central ideas of Michael Walzer's path-breaking Spheres of Justice. Is social justice a radically plural notion, with its principles determined by the different social goods that men and women allocate to one another? Is it possible to prevent the unequal distribution of money and power from distorting the allocation of other goods? If different goods are distributed by different mechanisms, what (if any) kind of social equality is possible? Are there universal principles of justice which apply regardless of context? These and other related questions are pursued in depth by the contributors. The book concludes with an important new essay by Walzer in which he reflects on the positions taken in his original book in the light of the critical appraisals presented here.
In this collection, twelve philosophers, historians and political philosophers assess aspects of socialism.
This reappraisal of the pluralist tradition systematically explores accounts of political pluralism offered by James, Dewey, Figgis, Cole, Laski, Follett, and Dahl and shows how each variant contains a distinct account of the relation between group power, individual interest, and self-development. These historical accounts provide the resources with which Eisenberg reconstructs a democratic theory of political pluralism. At the center of political pluralism, she argues, is a pluralist approach to self-development that can address the key ambiguities of identity politics and provide a more effective means to balance the power relations between individuals and communities than can individualist or communitarian approaches.
Assessing the legacy of Canada's twentieth prime minister.
A proposal that immigrants in the United States should be offered a path to legalized status.