Aligning Values and Politics

Michael Gendre has taught philosophy and ethics in colleges in and near Boston, as well as abroad. He sees Kant and Aristotle as compatible theorists for an ethics of responsibility.Nicolás Sánchez is past Chairman of the Economics Department at Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA. His expertise is in the field of property rights and institutional analysis.

• DedicationAcknowledgmentsPreface, by Michael Gendre1 Introduction: Empowering People Through Institutional Change2 Manipulating People by Means of “Bread and Circuses;” Then and Now3 The Philosophical Case for Limiting Government4 Caring for Others Requires a Principle of Duty5 Drawing the Line Between Self-Actualization and Our Duty to Others6 Private Property Expands Our Opportunities7 Imposing Restrictions on Inheritance8 Using Property Rights to Better Understand Abortion and Adoption9 The Market Is the Best Engine for Conflict Resolution10 Discrimination As a Moral and Strategic Challenge11 The Rise of Property Rights in Historical Context: Their Use and Misuse12 Bringing Back Legitimacy to Government13 Proposed Legal and Constitutional Changes14 The Obstacles That We Still Face15 The Road to Wealth Creation in a Society With Meaningful Lives16 Imperialism as a Threat to American Governance17 From Ancients to Moderns: Balancing Individual Rights and Duties to OthersAfterword and Summary in the Form of an Open Letter, by Nicolás SánchezAppendix A: Our AssumptionsAppendix B: Our Understanding of ScholarshipAppendix C: The Kantian Texts and Their ContextsAbout the AuthorsBibliographyIndex

Gendre and Sánchez challenge American citizens to rise up to better versions of themselves, individually and collectively, by questioning the pursuit of mere happiness and pleasure and striving instead for self-actualization built upon Kantian ethical principles. Rejecting the tired dichotomies and slogans of Left and Right, Republican and Democrat, and Us against Them, Gendre and Sánchez challenge readers to reconsider their assumptions, political and economic loyalties, and self-awareness in the light of historical lessons and moral principles. If you are looking for a book that you will agree with across the board, you should pass by on the other side. If, instead, you seek to be challenged and stretched in your thinking about economics, politics, and the purposes and limits of government, this book is for you.