Should We Consent to Be Governed? A Short

Rather than a survey of political philosophy, this concise text focuses on the problem of developing a personal outlook toward government and political life.

Preface

viii

Should We Consent to Be Governed?

1

(8)

Personal Choices and Political Philosophies

2

(2)

What's Ahead? Four Political Outlooks

4

(3)

Super Patriotism

4

(1)

Political Cynicism

5

(1)

Anarchism

5

(1)

Critical Citizenship

6

(1)

Making Our Own Choice

7

(2)

Super Patriotism

9

(18)

The Case for Super Patriotism

12

(2)

The Parent Argument

14

(3)

The Benefactor Argument

17

(1)

The Agreement Argument

18

(2)

Criticizing the Agreement Argument

20

(4)

The Super Patriotic Attitude

24

(3)

Political Cynicism

27

(19)

Thrasymachus and Political Cynicism

29

(1)

The Marxist Version of Political Cynicism

30

(2)

The Moral Force of Cynicism

32

(2)

Types of Cynicism

34

(2)

The Lives of Cynics

36

(2)

Cynicism and Anarchy

38

(3)

Is Cynicism True?

41

(2)

The Lessons of Cynicism

43

(3)

The Case for Anarchism

46

(18)

The Argument from Freedom and Autonomy

48

(2)

The Coercive Nature of Government

50

(2)

In Defense of Moral Autonomy

52

(1)

The Argument from the Evil of Coercing Others

53

(2)

The Evils of Governments

55

(5)

Economic Inequality

56

(1)

Prisons and Criminal Justice

57

(1)

War and the State

58

(2)

The Anarchist View and the Anarchist Vision

60

(4)

The Case Against Anarchism

64

(17)

Hobbes and the Defense of Government

65

(2)

Is Hobbes Too Pessimistic?

67

(3)

The Benefits of the Civil State

70

(2)

The Legitimacy of Coercion

72

(3)

Is the Civil State Always Best?

75

(3)

What Hobbes Has Shown

78

(3)

Critical Citizenship

81

(21)

Objections to Critical Citizenship

83

(2)

The Ideal of Social Cooperation

85

(2)

Why King Took the Law Seriously

87

(1)

The Super Patriotic Objection

88

(2)

The Dangers of Advocating Disobedience

90

(4)

The Morality of Obedience and Disobedience to Law

94

(2)

A Hobbesian Objection to Critical Citizenship

96

(3)

The Ideal of Critical Citizenship

99

(3)

The Critical Citizenship Perspective

102

(16)

Where Do Critical Citizens Stand on Controversial Issues?

103

(1)

The Morality of Political Protest

104

(3)

Ways of Going Wrong

107

(1)

Taxation and Justice

108

(3)

Looking at Libertarianism

111

(3)

Who Cares?---Relating Politics to Personal Life

114

(4)

FREE SHIPPING

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Should We Consent to Be Governed? A Short Introduction to Political Philosophy

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials