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.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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