Philosophical Dimensions of Public Policy

by Galston,William

• ISBN13: 9780765805416
• ISBN10: 0765805413
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2003-08-31
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

At the mid-point of the twentieth century, many philosophers in the English-speaking world regarded political and moral philosophy as all but moribund. Thinkers influenced by logical positivism believe that ethical statements are merely disguised expressions of individual emotion lacking propositional force, or that the conditions for the validation of ethical statements could not be specified, or that their content, however humanly meaningful, is inexpressible. Philosophical Dimensions of Public Policy, now available in paperback, presents thirty-four articles written by research scholars in numerous fields--philosophy, political theory, medicine, law, biology, economics, ecology, and sociology--treating a broad range of topics in practical philosophy. They pioneer a distinctive method of conducting inquiry into the moral dimensions of public life and contribute to public discussion and deliberation. As does the Institute for Philosophy and Public Affairs, contributors reject the idea that public philosophy means reaching into the philosopher's tool-kit and "applying" prefabricated theories to particular problems. Instead, this volume sets in motion a dialogue between the distinctive moral features of practical problems and the more general moral theories or considerations that seem most likely to elucidate these problems. The volume is divided into five areas: "Politics, Civil Life, and Moral Education"; "Diversity, Identity, and Equal Opportunity"; "Human Rights, Development Ethics, and International Justice"; "Biotechnology, Genetic Research, and Health Policy"; and "Natural Environments, Human Communities." Philosophical Dimensions of Public Policy presents empirical data andphilosophical arguments with the intention of informing public policy and public deliberation. Scholars as well as graduate and undergraduate students are certain to find it useful in their research.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. ix
Politics, Civil Life, and Moral Education
The Abortion Dilemma	p. 3
Feminism and Liberal Individualism	p. 5
The Conservative Perspective	p. 7
Is There a Middle Ground?	p. 10
Neutral Dialogue and the Abortion Debate	p. 14
Mandated Service and Moral Learning	p. 21
Consultants and American Political Culture	p. 27
Chastity, Morality, and the Schools	p. 39
The Holocaust and Moral Education	p. 47
Value Pluralism and Political Liberalism	p. 55
Expert Analysis v. Public Opinion: The Case of Campaign Finance Reform	p. 65
Getting Practical about Deliberative Democracy	p. 77
Diversity, Identity, and Equal Opportunity
Racism in the Head, Racism in the World	p. 91
Multiculturalism and Cultural Authenticity	p. 97
The Merits of Merit	p. 105
The Affirmative Action Debate	p. 115
Diversity and Affirmative Action	p. 115
Diversity and Stereotyping	p. 124
Counting Race and Ethnicity: Revising the U.S. Census	p. 133
Convention and Competence: Disability Rights in Sports and Education	p. 143
Human Rights, Development Ethics, and International Justice
Income and Development	p. 155
Population Policy and the Clash of Cultures	p. 163
"Asian Values" and the Universality of Human Rights	p. 171
Negotiating Jerusalem	p. 181
A Question of Priorities: Human Rights, Development, and "Asian Values"	p. 191
War and Sacrifice in Kosovo	p. 201
Retribution and Reconciliation	p. 211
Biotechnology, Genetic Research, and Health Policy
Biotechnology and the Idea of Human Nature	p. 223
Futile Treatment and the Ethics of Medicine	p. 231
Disowning Knowledge: Issues in Genetic Testing	p. 239
Genetic Encores: The Ethics of Human Cloning	p. 247
One Pill Makes You Smarter: An Ethical Appraisal of the Rise of Ritalin	p. 257
Trials on Trial	p. 265
Natural Environments, Human Communities
Valuing Nature: Assessing Damages for Oil Spills	p. 275
Alternatives to the Mass Consumption Society	p. 283
Can We Put a Price on Nature's Services?	p. 291
Preserving the Waterman's Way of Life	p. 301
Controlling Global Climate: The Debate over Pollution Trading	p. 311
Are We Simple Creatures?	p. 319
What's Wrong with Exotic Species?	p. 327
About the Contributors	p. 341
About the Editors	p. 349
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