ABSTRACT

In the tradition of Milton Friedman’s 1962 classic, Capitalism and Freedom, Lansing Pollock draws on moral, political, and economic theory to defend a libertarian vision of the good society. Pollock argues that mutual consent, derived from a fundamental Kantian moral equality, is the ideal standard for judging relations between persons. He contends that if the equal right of all persons to be free is taken seriously, most of the coercion by government that many take for granted is immoral. Pollock situates libertarian moral theory in an American historical context, one compatible with the views of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. Pollock argues that when the Constitution is interpreted according to the political philosophy of the framers, the modern welfare state is unconstitutional. Pollock goes on to demonstrate how free market economies promote human well-being, whereas government regulation is often counterproductive. In advocating a reduction in the size and scope of government, Pollock includes applied policy analyses of poverty and health care, among other topical issues. He also offers an innovative solution to the problem of funding a limited government without violating individual rights. The strength of The Free Society lies in its synthetic achievement. In a book that is accessibly written and sure to appeal to scholar and lay reader alike, Pollock provides a compelling conception of the good society—one in which the libertarian vision includes moral, social, political, and economic perspectives.

chapter |4 pages

Introduction

part ONE|52 pages

Moral Foundations

chapter 1.|4 pages

Moral Skepticism

chapter 2.|9 pages

The Freedom Principle

chapter 3.|15 pages

Evaluating Moral Theories

chapter 4.|11 pages

Liberalism

chapter 5.|7 pages

Why Be Moral?

chapter 6.|5 pages

Summary

part TWO|34 pages

Liberty and Government

chapter 7.|4 pages

Legitimacy

chapter 8.|11 pages

Justice

chapter 9.|10 pages

The Constitution

chapter 10.|8 pages

Summary

part THREE|44 pages

Liberty and Economics

chapter 11.|11 pages

General Observations

chapter 12.|7 pages

Poverty

chapter 13.|4 pages

The Taxpayer's Dilemma

chapter 14.|9 pages

Health Care

chapter 15.|6 pages

Education

chapter 16.|6 pages

Government Failure

part FOUR|22 pages

Liberty and Reality

chapter 17.|6 pages

Optimism and Pessimism

chapter 18.|6 pages

Strategies

chapter 19.|7 pages

Change