Polycentric Governance and the Good Society: A Normative and Philosophical Investigation offers an examination of the idea of polycentric governance as one of the pillars of a flourishing human society. Rather than following the conventional path of suppressing complexity and diversity for the sake of reaching agreement on justice and political stability, David Thunder and Pablo Paniagua see complexity and diversity as assets that should be leveraged to make the "Open Society" a m...

This book features new approaches to social contract theory. Whereas traditional social contract theories and their adaptations in the twentieth century were developed for fairly homogeneous societies, societies in the twenty-first century often are characterized by conflicting first-order directives that stem from deep moral, political, religious, and cultural diversity. To address such diversity and the complexities of contemporary societies, new approaches (including formal approaches) ...

An updated and expanded edition of the classic introduction to PPE**—philosophy, politics, and economics—coauthored by one of the field’s pioneers**Philosophy, Politics, and Economics offers a complete introduction to the fundamental tools and concepts of analysis that PPE students need to study social and political issues. This fully updated and expanded edition examines the core methodologies of rational choice, strategi...

Can capitalism have moral foundations? Though this question may seem strange in today's world of vast economic disparities and widespread poverty, discussions originating with the birth of capitalism add a critical perspective to the current debate on the efficacy and morality of capitalist economies. Authors Daniel Halliday and John Thrasher use this question to introduce classical political philosophy as a framework by which to evaluate the ethics of capitalism today. They revisit and re...

Stacey’s balance left her. “Good means ‘life affirming.’” The old woman’s mouth had not moved. “Evil is selfish. It disregards life. Then which is good: order or chaos?” Stacey did not answer because it took work and time to accept what the glow showed her—that despite similarities of tone and accent, the voice that answered came not from her ancient hostess but from the horn in the old woman’s lap. Stacey remembered another triad who listened to voices from a cone of sorts, a crater in Ce...