Coping in politics with indeterminate norms : a theory of enlightened localism / Benjamin Gregg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gregg, Benjamin Greenwood, 1954-

Series:

SUNY Series in Radical Social and Political Theory

SUNY series in political theory. Contemporary issues

SUNY series in radical social and political theory

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social justice.

Social norms.

Social policy--Moral and ethical aspects.

Social policy.

Justice, Administration of--Political aspects.

Justice, Administration of.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (221 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2003.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Are social equity, political fairness, and legal justice possible within a liberal political order, even if norms are indeterminate? The modern world is distinguished by both its complexity and the absence of a single theory, principle, or tradition with the authority to constrain us. Coping in Politics with Indeterminate Norms demonstrates that while moral validity is relative rather than absolute, and cultural meanings local rather than universal, social integration and democratic politics are still attainable goals. Benjamin Gregg fashions a theory that combines proceduralism with pragmatism—an "enlightened localism"—that adjudicates among competing normative commitments and interpretations using local criteria in the absence of universal standards. The theory is applied to three empirical domains: social criticism, public policy, and law and morality.

Contents:

""Coping in Politics with Indeterminate Norms""; ""Contents""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Introduction""; ""Part I: The Problem: Indeterminate Norms""; ""1. Indeterminacy in Social and Political Norms""; ""Part II: The Solution: Basic Components""; ""2. Coping with Indeterminacy through Proceduralism""; ""3. Coping with Indeterminacy through Pragmatism""; ""Part III: The Solution: Localism Without Parochialism""; ""4. Enlightened Localism in Social Critique""; ""5. Enlightened Localism in Public Policy""; ""6. Enlightened Localism in Law and Morality""

""Coda. Social Cooperation in the Absence of Political Unity""""Notes""; ""Bibliography""; ""Index""; ""A""; ""B""; ""C""; ""D""; ""E""; ""F""; ""G""; ""H""; ""I""; ""J""; ""K""; ""L""; ""M""; ""N""; ""O""; ""P""; ""Q""; ""R""; ""S""; ""T""; ""U""; ""V""; ""W""; ""Y""; ""Z""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-196) and index.

ISBN:

9780791486597

0791486591

OCLC:

923416096