Classical Individualism: The Supreme Importance of Each Human Being

by Machan,Tibor R.

• ISBN13: 9780415165723
• ISBN10: 0415165725
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-08-07
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

InClassical Individualism,Tibor Machan argues that individualism is far from being dead. Machan identifies, develops and defends what he calls classical individualism: the sort with roots in Aristotle rather than Hobbes. This type of individualism does not reject the social nature of the human being, but finds that every human being is also a self-directed agent who is responsible for what he or she does. Machan rejects all types of collectivism, including communitarianism, ethnic solidarity, racial unity, and gender identity. The ideas inClassical Individualismhave important social and political implications, and will be of interest to anyone concerned with the notion of individuality and individual responsibility.

Author Biography

Tibor R. Machan is Professor at Auburn University, Alabama, but is currently Professor and Distinguished Fellow at the School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, California. He is also a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Individualism and Classical Liberalism	p. 1
Ethics and Free Will	p. 17
Human Action and the Nature of Moral Evil	p. 31
Why Objective Ethical Claims Appear Subjective	p. 51
A Defense of Property Rights and Capitalism	p. 65
America's Founding Principles and Multiculturalism	p. 75
Radical Feminism as Uniformitarianism	p. 89
Human Rights Reaffirmed	p. 97
Do Animals Have Rights?	p. 105
Politics and Generosity	p. 118
Understanding Eastern European Developments	p. 132
Individual Rights and the Common Good	p. 143
Individualism and Political Dialogue	p. 156
Individualism Versus Its Critics	p. 165
Reason, Individualism, and Capitalism	p. 185
Epilogue	p. 200
Notes	p. 202
Bibliography	p. 228
Index	p. 236
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