The Moral Purpose of the State

Book Description

Reus-Smit argues that international societies are shaped by deep constitutional structures that are based on prevailing beliefs about the moral purpose of the state, the organizing principle of sovereignty, and the norm of procedural justice. These structures inform the imaginations of institutional architects as they develop and adjust institutional arrangements between states. As he shows with detailed reference to ancient Greece, Renaissance Italy, absolutist Europe, and the modern world, different cultural and historical contexts lead to profoundly different constitutional structures and institutional practices. The first major study of its kind, this book is a significant addition to our theoretical and empirical understanding of international relations, past and present.

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This book seeks to explain why different systems of sovereign states have built different types of fundamental institutions to govern interstate relations. Why, for example, did the ancient Greeks operate a successful system of third-party arbitration, while international society today rests on a combination of international law and multilateral diplomacy? Why did the city-states of Renaissance Italy develop a system of oratorical diplomacy, while the states of absolutist Europe relied on naturalist international law and "old diplomacy"? Conventional explanations of basic institutional practices have difficulty accounting for such variation. Christian Reus-Smit addresses this problem by presenting an alternative, "constructivist" theory of international institutional development, one that emphasizes the relationship between the social identity of the state and the nature and origin of basic institutional practices. Reus-Smit argues that international societies are shaped by deep constitutional structures that are based on prevailing beliefs about the moral purpose of the state, the organizing principle of sovereignty, and the norm of procedural justice. These structures inform the imaginations of institutional architects as they develop and adjust institutional arrangements between states. As he shows with detailed reference to ancient Greece, Renaissance Italy, absolutist Europe, and the modern world, different cultural and historical contexts lead to profoundly different constitutional structures and institutional practices. The first major study of its kind, this book is a significant addition to our theoretical and empirical understanding of international relations, past and present.

Customer Reviews:

Insight into state systems.......2001-06-26

Those interested in history and IR theory, especially those with a constructivist bent, will find this book worth looking at, though it's not always easy going. The basic argument is that different dominant ideas about the "moral purpose of the state," coupled with different ideas about sovereignty and justice, give rise to very different forms of diplomacy and law in different eras. Most interesting, though not necessarily completely persuasive, is the distinction Reus-Smit draws between the "absolutist" and the modern European state systems, emphasizing the shift from "naturalist" to "contractual" international law, and from "old diplomacy" to multilateralism.

Return to Greatness: How America Lost Its Sense of Purpose and What It Needs to Do to Recover It

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What's the choice? Liberty or Greatness?
Greatness=Fascism

Return to Greatness: How America Lost Its Sense of Purpose and What It Needs to Do to Recover It
Alan Wolfe
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Public Policy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Federal Government | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0691119333

Book Description

Has America, in its quest for goodness, sacrificed its sense of greatness? In this sharp-witted, historically informed book, veteran political observer Alan Wolfe argues that most Americans show greater concern with saving the country's soul than with making the nation great.

Wolfe castigates both conservatives and liberals for opting for small-mindedness over greatness. Liberals, who at their best insisted on policies of national solidarity, have convinced themselves that small is beautiful, prefer multiculturalism to one nation, and are mistrustful of executive political power. Conservatives, who once embraced strong, active central government and an ideal of national citizenship, now support huge tax cuts that undermine America's future ability to undertake any ambitious, long-term project at home or abroad.

No great society, in Wolfe's view, has ever been built on the cheap. Wolfe notes that neither the conservatives' call for small-scale faith-based initiatives nor the recent embrace on the left of a grassroots "civil society" can provide health care to tens of millions of uninsured Americans or ensure national security in an age of terrorism.

To find better solutions, Wolfe looks back at specific moments in our national experience, when, in the face of sharp resistance, aspirations for the idea of national greatness shaped American history. He demonstrates how a bold and ambitious political agenda, championed at various times by Alexander Hamilton, John Marshall, Abraham Lincoln, and the two Roosevelts, steered the country toward periods of national strength and unity.

Steeped in a colorful, panoramic reading of history, Return to Greatness offers a fresh take on American national identity and purpose. A call to action for a renewed embrace of the ideal of an activist federal government and bold policy agendas, it is sure to become a centerpiece of national debate.

Customer Reviews:

What's the choice? Liberty or Greatness?.......2005-06-08

This is a wonderful book, clear, concise, logical and properly infuriating for anyone concerned about the current state of the nation.

It's based on a simple premise: liberals believe government authority, policies and incentives have guided America's destiny into greatness. The neoconservative rebuttal is that America's destiny is based on not meddling in the lives of ciizens and not becoming involved in foreign nation building.

Wolfe doesn't endorse the neoconservative view. He writes, "As it takes the personal courage of a Teddy Roosevelt or a John McCain to become a great American leader, itr takes intellectual courage to propose great ideas for Amerca, such as the courage to insist that sometimes government is necessary and the taxes to finance its activities a small price to pay for the results it can achieve or the courage to do what is right for future generations rather than what is most likely to garner votes in the very next election."

It's based on an assumption that people are either basically evil or good. Liberals believe in basic goodness; conservatives believe in basic evil and punishment to instill respect and morality. Wolfe writes "The hope-filled language of the Reagan and Kennedy administrations finds no place among men like Vice President Dick Cheney, who are convinced that forces of darkness rule the world and must be met head-on with iron resolve. Suspicion and fear guide this administration, not confidence and generosity."

True enough. Do you trust the government? If so, this book outlines in chilling detail the intellectual underpinnings of how and why the Bush administration wants to reverse almost everything the US government has achieved since 1860.

If you don't trust the government, this book outlines heart-warming reasons of how and why "Bush is the first Republican president to make libertarianism the centerpiece of his presidency." The express goal of massive budget and trade deficits is to make sure the US "is unlikely to possess for decades the financial wherewithal to achieve any of the objectives its leaders set out to realize."

To understand this antiu-government attitude, it's worth understanding the "Old Confederacy" was born the moment Gen. Robert E. Lee offered his sword to Gen. U.S. Grant at Appomattox; thus began the legend of states' rights. As Wolfe explains, "A hundred years ago, Southerners voted overwhelmingly for a party that stood against the idea of a strong America. Now they continue to do exactly that."

The result, Wolfe writes, is "the stronger American conservativism becomes, the weaker America will be." In this wonderfully liberal view of conservative ideas, a strong state dominates and controls its citizens, taxing them heavily to finance its domestic experiments, foreign adventures and imperial greatness. Does the powerful national unity and sense of purpose implied by the slogal "Ein volk, ein reich, ein fuhrer" ring a bell?

It's been said of John Milton, who wrote 'Paradise Lost' to praise God and condemn Satan, that he inadvertently created a heroic Devil because of Milton emphasized his very human insistence on individuality instead of meek submission to God.

In his praise of America, Wolfe likewise writes, "Greatness, which has always been the exception rather than the rule in the American experience, must be willed into being over the objections of all those forces that benefit from the individualistic culture, decentralized political structure, and profit-seeking opportunities that dominate everyday American life." Take your choice . . . . individuality or greatness.

It puts Wolfe right up there with Milton.

Greatness=Fascism.......2005-05-31

Like beauty, greatness is in the eye of the beholder. Alan Wolfe's concept of greatness sharply differs from this reviewer's view of greatness. While he claims to be a "Liberal" Kerry voter, he does not promote the classical liberal thought of a Lockean, and is intolerant of other views of greatness. Rather, like many of today's "progressives" his "Liberalism" is a perversion. It calls for a strong coercive government that destroys any existence of individualism. His heros are Alexander Hamilton, John Marshall, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt. What makes them heros is that they all succeed in increasing the power of the central government while actively ignoring the true intent of the US Constitution. The obligations that one has towards his fellow citizens are not self imposed, but are decided by and enforced by a strong central government bureacracy.

Indeed, Wolfe's idealogy is highly nationalisic and intolerant. It is basically a fascist ideal where the will and the identity of the individual is destroyed. Greatness (as opposed to goodness) comes from government strength. Wolfe's desired Leviathan could easily violate the basic freedoms that many have given their lives to defend.

This reviewer believes that both America's goodness and greatness have come from her people, and not from government force or military might. Without the force of government, the great Americans of yesterday and today freely place restrictions on themselves in order to improve life for themselves and their fellow world citizens. America's great people come from all walks of life. She is a school teachers, business owner, a loving parent, a little league players, or she is just an infirmed lady who can rise above her own pains to freely give some of what little money she has to the tsunami victims in Southeast Asia. If she were forced to give of herself as Wolfe would advocate, then she has lost her right to be good, generous, and helpful.

Greatness comes from within the individual and can never be imposed by government power. A country can never be great if its citizens are treated as livestock, and this is the reason that Wolfe's vision fails. If his vision is ever implemented, the US will go the way of many failed regimes such as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, and many innocent lives will be lost along the way.

American Interests, American Purpose: Moral Reasoning and U.S. Foreign Policy (The Washington Papers)

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American Interests, American Purpose: Moral Reasoning and U.S. Foreign Policy (The Washington Papers)
George Weigel
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ethics & Morality | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Sociology | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

International Law | Law | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Book Description

American Interests, Amercan Purpose explores the relationship between moral norms and U.S. foreign policy. The book does not so much attempt to provide a theoretical framework for the ongoing debate of morality and foreign policy as to examine four different controversial aspects of the argument. Weigel begins with a discussion of the cultural Protestant moralism that characterized Woodrow Wilson's approach to world politics. Here, the author suggests that the discussion involves the fundamental question, "What is morality or moral reasoning?" The book goes on to examine the pressures put on the foreign policy debate by the rise of modern totalitarianism. Weigel examines the modern cleric's arguments against nuclear deterrents. Finally, the book sketches the moral, strategic, and empirical case for U.S. foreign policy in which support for indigenous democratic forces throughout the world has a high priority.

Journey of Purpose: Reflections on the Presidency, Multiculturalism, and Third Parties (Castle Lectures Series)

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A Great Anecdote to Passionless Candidates
A wonderful work on generational and moral responsibility

Journey of Purpose: Reflections on the Presidency, Multiculturalism, and Third Parties (Castle Lectures Series)
Paul Tsongas
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ethics & Morality | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Federal Government | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

In this inspiring book, one of the most respected senior figures in American politics discusses why the country should strive to achieve economic growth, fiscal responsibility, and social inclusiveness. Senator Paul Tsongas reveals the lessons he learned as a presidential candidate in 1992, suggests why Americans may turn to a third party in 1996, and articulates principles that this party might follow.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Anecdote to Passionless Candidates.......2000-11-27

It's nice to be reminded that there have been, and hopefully will be again, presidential candidates who are more driven by the passion to serve than a vague and often misguided ambition to merely hold office. Senator Tsongas' work more than serves that purpose as it outlines his reasons for running in 1992 as well as his blueprint for a party that promises to effectively serve the compassionate core of America. What's most refreshing is that Tsongas is fair and reasoned in his approach and, whenever necessary, critical of his own party in his attempt to stear it in bold new directions. Whether you embrace Tsongas' political leanings or not, this is one of those works that should be considered essential reading nevertheless.

A wonderful work on generational and moral responsibility.......1998-05-15

This is, simply put, one of the better works I have read. The late, great American, Paul Tsongas, did a wonderful job in articulating his belief that we are a socially progressive yet fiscally responsible nation. In doing so, the former Senator and Democratic Presidential Candidate does not forsake his Democratic roots but instead embraces the New Democratic theory on government, which seeks to have both a fiscal and morally responsible government which empowers citizens.

Book Description

Ray Wikstrom's book of values is a wake-up call to America, urging the country to come to its senses as it elects its first group of national leaders for the new millennium. Purpose: The Forgotten Principle should set the standards for all future political debates. It should elevate public discourse to a new level of integrity.

Wikstrom's call for moral leadership that leads by example is a reflection of his own life experience as a leader of thousands of Sailors and Marines in both war time and peace time. He is a refreshing, Conservative voice who dares to be different, who dares to take on such icons of the Conservative Right as the NRA, Oliver North and Newt Gingrich, and who isn't afraid to enter an intellectual duel with the Liberal Left.

Ray Wikstrom takes no prisoners in this entertaining, informative and thought-provoking collection of essays aimed at getting America back on the right track.

Customer Reviews:

The Unspoken Truth.......2001-01-19

Ray Wikstrom writes from his heart. He has the courage to write out against, what seems wrong and immoral to him. What most of us conform to, without even questioning why? Purpose! The Forgotten Principle examines everything from parenting to the military in a logical and objective way that will amke every American rethink their position on several topics. Though I didn't agree with Capt. Wikstrom on everything, he made me think critically about my positions. I truely recommend this book, for everyone, conservative and liberal, it doesn't matter, this book will make you question how America has declined so far without us knowing it!

Worth the read!!.......2000-09-16

Ray puts what most people believe in print. If you think the vocal minority have it wrong and family values have declined this is the book for you. Easy to read and stressing back to basics... PURPOSE! is right on.

Entertaining, informative, challenging, revelatory essays........2000-09-07

In Purpose!: The Forgotten Principle, Raymond Wikstrom sounds an overdue and much needed wake-up call to the necessity of elevating public political and social discourse to a new level of integrity as we proceed through a new century. Wikstrom's entertaining, informative, and challenging essays are declarative demands for moral leadership arises from his many years of experience as a leader of sailors and marines in and out of wartime. Purpose!: The Forgotten Principle takes on the vanities of the Conservative Right as embodied in the NRA, Oliver North, and Newt Gringrich, as well as the intellectual and philosophical failings and posturings of the Liberal Left.

A great book!.......2000-08-27

Ray Wikstrom puts it on paper what most of us feel! The heads of all branches of government should read it. When I read Ray's book I thought of mayself. He is preaching to the choir! Only the choir isn't singing! Ray is the one singing. The silent majority in America are thinking as Ray is but we are too quiet about our displeasure with todays leaders and with lack of responsibility and the eroding of family and citizen values. "Purpose" is extremely well written but it is not a cleancut answer to solving our countries' decline in values. Asking the question, as Ray has, what is the purpose of law,rules,discipline, manors,actions, values and conduct ,as though we are effecting lives and attitudes in a positive way and can turn the corner to bring back basic values,We see a meed for change and reform!

Purpose! The Forgotten Principle.......2000-05-17

I like the pithy comments.

The motion picture production code: Its character and purposes

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The motion picture production code: Its character and purposes
Martin Quigley
Manufacturer: Motion Picture Association of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007HTS0E

Strategic reasoning and moral purpose in U.S. foreign policy: Ideological norms of the Monroe Doctrine

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Strategic reasoning and moral purpose in U.S. foreign policy: Ideological norms of the Monroe Doctrine
Edward Weisband
Manufacturer: New York University, Center for International Studies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B000739TFW

Book Description

Amid the growing commitment to the environment by corporations and governments there is also a frustration with their lack of progress, as highlighted by international protests in Seattle, Genoa, and elsewhere. While the principles and environmental goals we must reach are well understood, if we are to move toward sustainable development, then corporations and governments will need a coherent set of tools with which to manage the behavior of humans and their institutions more effectively.

Tools for Environmental Management answers this need by providing, for the first time, an overview of Environmental Management Systems as a whole, and a set of 22 environmental management tools that can be applied on local, national and international scales. The linked set of tools includes:
- Environmental policies, audits, indicators, and site assessments
- Accounting practices and economic instruments
- Life cycle, product, and technology assessment
- Purchasing guidelines and economic instruments
- Risk and ecological management.

Each tool is described in terms of its definition, history, legal requirements or standards, and how it is applied. Examples are provided, along with newsletters, journals, references and web sites so that those using the tools can keep up to date.

Customer Reviews:

A survey of 20+ linked tools for environmental management.......2006-04-23

TOOLS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: A PRACTICAL INTRODUCTION AND GUIDE is a recommended college-level pick for any collection strong in environmental issues or environmental management. It provides a review of the Environmental Management Systems as a whole, surveying over twenty linked tools ranging from product and technology assessment and economics to purchasing guidelines and human factors. While billed as a 'primer', it's anything but an easy introduction: college-level audiences already involved in environmental management courses will find it a weighty but invaluable survey.

A useful toolkit.......2003-04-30

This is the first book that I have seen to compile a practical toolkit for managers who are working to improve environmental management and sustainability of their operations. It is presented as 'work in progress', is very comprehensive in its identification and coverage, with a set of 22 linked tools. It is designed for reference rather than to be read as a book, and fills a very important gap in the management literature.
The 22 linked tools are in various stages of development and the authors cover both how available tools should be used and what remains to be developed. For example the chapter on environmental indicators covers both the current state of the art and a frank discussion of current problems.
A notable feature of the book is the quality of the listing of further reading and available Internet sites at the end of each chapter. My only regret is that the authors have not provided a complementary website with at least those references listed.

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