The American Ideology: A Critique

by Andrew Levine

Overview

The American Ideology explicates and criticizes two notions of reason in society: efficiency and the concept of the reasonable. Despite their considerable appeal, these notions nowadays underwrite an orientation towards public policy that is both inadequate and beneficial to elite interests; an orientation that constitutes a distinct American Ideology. To make this case, Levine traces the history of the concept of efficiency, from Hobbes, through the utilitarian tradition, to contemporary economic and philosophical paradigms; and examines the strengths and weaknesses of the democratic theory implicit in John Rawls's pioneering work on justice and political legitimacy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781135942847
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	05/15/2004
Series:	Pathways Through the Twenty-First Century
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	184
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Andrew Levine is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is the author of many books, including Engaging Political Philosophy (2001) and AFuture for Marxism? (2003).

Table of Contents

Preface Foreword INTRODUCTION Left, Right and Center The American Ideology A Democratic Alternative 1. REASON The Idea of Reason The Death of Socrates Is Reason Bad for the Oppressed? 2. IDEOLOGY Natural Selection The Spirit of Capitalism The Protestant Ethic An Optimal Ethic Weber's Lead 3. MEANS-ENDS RATIONALITY The Individual and Society The New Science Hobbesian Sovereignty Optimality Utilitarianism Efficiency Macro-Level Consequences of Micro-Level Choices 4. THE INVISIBLE HAND Smith Was (Partly) Right Market Socialism Information Deficits Shades of Hayek Externalities Market Incompetences Competition Economies of Scale 5. EFFICIENCY AS IDEOLOGY Efficiency and the Soviet Model Problems of Planned Economies Market Solutions? Efficiency Reified Who Benefits? A Vicious Circle 6. THE REASONABLE Liberalism From Tolerance to Neutrality The Neutral and the Reasonable Social Unity Reasonableness 7. DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY Collective Choice Rousseauean Theories Proceduralism Rousseau Without the General Will Implementation Must We Retract Democracy In Order to Save It? 8. WHICH WAY FORWARD? Deweyan Reconstruction Democratizing the Economic Sphere Reconstructing Rawls What Is To Be Done?