Liberal Pluralism: The Implications Of Value Pluralism For Political Theory And Practice
by William A. Galston /
2002 / English / PDF
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William Galston is a distinguished political philosopher whose work
is informed by the experience of having served from 1993-1995 as
President Clinton's Deputy Assistant for Domestic Policy. Isaiah
Berlin first advanced the moral theory of value pluralism in the
1950s and it subsequently was developed by a number of
distinguisthed scholars, including Galston. In Liberal Pluralism,
Galston defends a version of value pluralism for political theory
and practice. Against the contentions of John Gray and others,
Galston argues that value pluralism undergirds a kind of liberal
politics that gives great weight to the ability of individuals and
groups to live their lives in accordance with their deepest beliefs
about what gives meaning and purpose to life. This account of
liberal pluralism is shown to have important implications for
political deliberation and decision-making, for the design of
public institutions, and for the division of legitimate authority
among government, religious institutions, civil society, parents
and families, and individuals. Liberal pluralism leads to a vision
of a good society in which political institutions are active in a
limited sphere and in which, within broad limits, families and
civil associations may organize and conduct themselves in ways that
are not congruent with the principles that govern the public
sphere. William Galston is Professor, School of Public Affairs,
University of Maryland and Director at the Institute for Philosophy
and Public Policy. He is the author of Liberal Purposes (Cambridge,
1991), which won the Spitz Prize. Galston's other books include
Justice and the Human Good (Chicago, 1980) and IKant and the
Problem of History (Chicago, 1975). He is also a Senior Advisor to
the Democratic Leadership Council and the Progressive Policy
Institute.
William Galston is a distinguished political philosopher whose work
is informed by the experience of having served from 1993-1995 as
President Clinton's Deputy Assistant for Domestic Policy. Isaiah
Berlin first advanced the moral theory of value pluralism in the
1950s and it subsequently was developed by a number of
distinguisthed scholars, including Galston. In Liberal Pluralism,
Galston defends a version of value pluralism for political theory
and practice. Against the contentions of John Gray and others,
Galston argues that value pluralism undergirds a kind of liberal
politics that gives great weight to the ability of individuals and
groups to live their lives in accordance with their deepest beliefs
about what gives meaning and purpose to life. This account of
liberal pluralism is shown to have important implications for
political deliberation and decision-making, for the design of
public institutions, and for the division of legitimate authority
among government, religious institutions, civil society, parents
and families, and individuals. Liberal pluralism leads to a vision
of a good society in which political institutions are active in a
limited sphere and in which, within broad limits, families and
civil associations may organize and conduct themselves in ways that
are not congruent with the principles that govern the public
sphere. William Galston is Professor, School of Public Affairs,
University of Maryland and Director at the Institute for Philosophy
and Public Policy. He is the author of Liberal Purposes (Cambridge,
1991), which won the Spitz Prize. Galston's other books include
Justice and the Human Good (Chicago, 1980) and IKant and the
Problem of History (Chicago, 1975). He is also a Senior Advisor to
the Democratic Leadership Council and the Progressive Policy
Institute.