A Conflict of Visions

by Sowell, Thomas

• ISBN13: 9780465002054
• ISBN10: 0465002056
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-06-05
• Publisher: Basic Books

Summary

In this classic work, Thomas Sowell analyzes the two competing visions that shape our debates about the nature of reason, justice, equality, and power: the "constrained" vision, which sees human nature as unchanging and selfish, and the "unconstrained" vision, in which human nature is malleable and perfectible. He describes how these two radically opposed views have manifested themselves in the political controversies of the past two centuries, including such contemporary issues as welfare reform, social justice, and crime. Updated to include sweeping political changes since its first publication in 1987, this revised edition ofA Conflict of Visionsoffers a convincing case that ethical and policy disputes circle around the disparity between both outlooks.

Author Biography

Thomas Sowell has taught economics at a number of colleges and universities, including Cornell, University of California Los Angeles, and Amherst. He has published both scholarly and popular articles and books on economics, and is currently a scholar in residence at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

Table of Contents

Patterns
The role of visions	p. 3
Constrained and unconstrained visions	p. 9
Visions of knowledge and reason	p. 36
Visions of social processes	p. 69
Varieties and dynamics of visions	p. 102
Applications
Visions of equality	p. 133
Visions of power	p. 156
Visions of justice	p. 192
Visions, values, and paradigms	p. 230
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