The Moral Foundation of Democracy
Author | : John H. Hallowell |
Publisher | : Amagi Books |
Total Pages | : 0 |
Release | : 2007 |
ISBN-10 | : 0865976694 |
ISBN-13 | : 9780865976696 |
Rating | : 4/5 (94 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Hallowell makes a significant argument in favour of the importance of moral values in the orderly functioning of modern democracies. Hallowell begins with a survey of the role that classical liberalism and faith in man as a reasonable, moral, and spiritual actor played in the emergence of democratic self-government. He sharply criticises positivist thought and moral relativism as direct challenges to the notion that transcendent truths guide individuals in their actions and influence how people participate in a democratic society. Hallowell reminds us that at its core, a well-functioning democracy must be based on a fundamental respect for the dignity of the individual.