The Moral Foundations of Politics Ian Shapiro

Ian Shapiro investigates this political dilemma, evaluating answers that have been proposed in the utilitarian, Marxist, social contract, anti-Enlightenment, and democratic traditions. "In The Moral Foundations of Politics, Shapiro reaffirms his place as one of the very clearest and most resolute, and most solidly grounded, practitioners in the political theory field in this generation."-Adolph Reed, Jr., New School for Social Research "Blending sophisticated political science (including insightful rational choice calculations) with clarity that makes the book's subject accessible to neophytes, Professor Shapiro distills centuries of political theory into a slender volume."-Harvard Law Review "A deeply valuable book at many levels. Shapiro shows an almost unique ability to combine the broad sweep with the telling detail or precise insight--just what a book of this sort needs."-Jennifer Hochschild, Harvard University

Ian Shapiro is William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor and chairman of the department of political science at Yale University. Among his books are "Democratic Justice" and, with Donald Green, "Pathologies of Rational Choice Theory, "both published by Yale University Press.
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"This is a rigorous and insightful reconsideration of the theories of political legitimacy underpinning the utilitarian, Marxist, social contract, anti-Enlightenment, and democratic traditions, from one of the foremost democratic theorists in America today. Shapiro conveys the reader through a maze of complex moral, economic and political argument surrounding this topic with impressive skill and enviable clarity. It will be of substantial interest to students of moral philosophy as well as political theory, and should reach a broader audience concerned with how to think about the moral dilemmas implicit in contemporary democratic theory and practice."--Shannon Stimson, UC Berkeley