Gewirth Critical Essays on Action, Rationality, and Community

by Boylan, Michael; Allen, Anita; Becker, Lawrence C.; Beyleveld, Deryck; Cummiskey, David; DeGrazia, David; Gallagher, David M.; Gewirth, Alan; Held, Virginia; Koziak, Barbara; Regan, Donald; Reiman, Jeffrey; Richardson, Henry; Singer, Beth J.; Slote, Micha

• ISBN13: 9780847692583
• ISBN10: 0847692582
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-12-23
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

As one of the most important ethicists to emerge since the Second World War, Alan Gewirth continues to influence philosophical debates concerning morality. In this ground-breaking book, Gewirth's neo-Kantianism, and the communitarian problems discussed, form a dialogue on the foundation of moral theory. Themes of agent-centered constraints, the formal structure of theories, and the relationship between freedom and duty are examined along with such new perspectives as feminism, the Stoics, and Sartre. Gewirth offers a picture of the philosopher's theory and its applications, providing a richer, more complete critical assessement than any which has occurred to date.

Author Biography

Anita L. Allen: Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Lawrence C. Becker: Kenan Professor of Philosophy, The College of William and Mary Deryck Beyleveld: Professor of Jurisprudence and Director Sheffield Institute of Biotechnological Law and Ethics, The University of Sheffield, U.K. Michael Boylan: Professor of Philosophy, Marymount University David Cummiskey: Associate Professor of Philosophy, Bates College David DeGrazia: Associate Professor of Philosophy, The George Washington University David M. Gallagher: Professor of Philosophy, The Catholic University of America Alan Gewirth: Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor of Philosophy, The University of Chicago Virginia Held: Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Hunter College and the Graduate School of the City University of New York Barbara Koziak: Assistant Professor of Government, American University Donald Regan: William W. Bishop, Jr., Collegiate Professor of Law and Professor of Philosophy, University of Michigan Jeffrey Reiman: William Fraser McDowell Professor of Philosophy, American University Henry S. Richardson: Associate Professor of Philosophy, Georgetown University Beth J. Singer: Professor of Philosophy, Emerita, Brooklyn College, The City University of New York Michael Slote: Professor of Philosophy, The University of Maryland Edward Spence: Assistant Professor of Philosophy, The University of Sydney, Australia James P. Sterba: Professor of Philosophy, The University of Notre Dame

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	1	(12)
Michael Boylan
I. The Normative Structure of Action	13	(62)
1. The Normative Import of Action	13	(16)
Virginia Held
2. Gewirth and Held on Action and Methodology: A Response to Virginia Held's "The Normative Import of Action"	29	(6)
David DeGrazia
3. Anticipating Gewirth: A Critical Disagreement	35	(4)
Michael Slote
4. Values and Ends: Comments on Michael Slote's "Anticipating Gewirth"	39	(6)
Lawrence C. Becker
5. Gewirth on Necessary Goods: What Is the Agent Committed to Valuing?	45	(26)
Donald Regan
6. Liberal Agency is Open for Business: A Response to Donald Regan's "Gewirth on Necessary Goods: What Is an Agent Committed to Valuing?"	71	(4)
Barbara Koziak
II. Gewirth and Kantianism	75	(70)
7. Choosing an Ethical Theory	75	(16)
Michael Boylan
8. Confronting Moral Theories: Gewirth in Context	91	(6)
Anita Allen
9. Gewirth and Kant on Justifying the Supreme Principle of Morality	97	(22)
Deryck Beyleveld
10. A Commentary on Deryck Beyleveld's "Gewirth and Kant on Justifying the Supreme Principle of Morality"	119	(6)
Edward Spence
11. Gewirth's Kantian Consequentialism	125	(16)
David Cummiskey
12. The Problem with Simply Promoting Agency: Comment on Cummiskey	141	(4)
Henry S. Richardson
III. Community, Rationality, and Rights	145	(46)
13. Community, Mutuality, and Rights	145	(10)
Beth J. Singer
14. The Existence and Universality of Gewirthian Moral Rights: Comment on Beth J. Singer's "Community, Mutuality, and Rights"	155	(4)
Jeffrey Reiman
15. Building on Gewirth: A Defense of Morality	159	(24)
James P. Sterba
16. Gewirth, Sterba, and the Justification of Morality	183	(8)
David M. Gallagher
IV. Comments by Gewirth	191	(24)
17. Replies to My Colleagues	191	(24)
Alan Gewirth
Bibliography	215	(6)
About the Contributors	221