Virtue and the Making of Modern Liberalism [Hardcover]

Peter Berkowitz (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0691016887 | ISBN-13: 978-0691016887 | Publication Date: January 18, 1999

Virtue has been rediscovered in the United States as a subject of public debate and of philosophical inquiry. Politicians from both parties, leading intellectuals, and concerned citizens from diverse backgrounds are addressing questions about the content of our character. Here Peter Berkowitz clarifies the fundamental issues, arguing that a certain ambivalence toward virtue reflects the liberal spirit at its best. He makes his case with penetrating analyses of four central figures in the making of modern liberalism: Hobbes, Locke, Kant, and Mill.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Berkowitz has a talent for careful reading of works of political theory, acute analysis, and clear formulation. All of these make this book a pleasure to read: it is the best written book on political theory I have read in some time." -- Jerry Muller, The Catholic University of America

"This is an engaging, readable, and persuasive study. Berkowitz conveys a fresh sense of early liberalism that will stimulate reflection even among scholars who have long studied it, as well as among more general readers." -- Rogers M. Smith, Yale University

"Virtue and the Making of Modern Liberalism offers both a penetrating analysis of the debate over virtue within modern liberal theory and practice and a careful account of the role of virtue in the classical liberal tradition. . . . This fairminded book advances our understanding of an important topic and deserves a wide audience." -- William A. Galston, University of Maryland

In elegantly written studies of Hobbes, Kant, Locke, and Mill, Berkowitz finds that the fathers of modern liberalism, not unsurprisingly, believed that the virtues are necessary even in a liberal regime. -- Review

From the Inside Flap

"Berkowitz has a talent for careful reading of works of political theory, acute analysis, and clear formulation. All of these make this book a pleasure to read: it is the best written book on political theory I have read in some time."--Jerry Muller, The Catholic University of America

"This is an engaging, readable, and persuasive study. Berkowitz conveys a fresh sense of early liberalism that will stimulate reflection even among scholars who have long studied it, as well as among more general readers."--Rogers M. Smith, Yale University

"Virtue and the Making of Modern Liberalism offers both a penetrating analysis of the debate over virtue within modern liberal theory and practice and a careful account of the role of virtue in the classical liberal tradition. . . . This fairminded book advances our understanding of an important topic and deserves a wide audience."--William A. Galston, University of Maryland

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (January 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691016887
• ISBN-13: 978-0691016887
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,414,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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