A Virtue for Courageous Minds

Moderation in French Political Thought, 1748-1830

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Political, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, History & Theory
Cover of the book A Virtue for Courageous Minds by Aurelian Craiutu, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Aurelian Craiutu ISBN: 9781400842421
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: February 26, 2012
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Aurelian Craiutu
ISBN: 9781400842421
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: February 26, 2012
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

Political moderation is the touchstone of democracy, which could not function without compromise and bargaining, yet it is one of the most understudied concepts in political theory. How can we explain this striking paradox? Why do we often underestimate the virtue of moderation? Seeking to answer these questions, A Virtue for Courageous Minds examines moderation in modern French political thought and sheds light on the French Revolution and its legacy.

Aurelian Craiutu begins with classical thinkers who extolled the virtues of a moderate approach to politics, such as Aristotle and Cicero. He then shows how Montesquieu inaugurated the modern rebirth of this tradition by laying the intellectual foundations for moderate government. Craiutu looks at important figures such as Jacques Necker, Madame de Staël, and Benjamin Constant, not only in the context of revolutionary France but throughout Europe. He traces how moderation evolves from an individual moral virtue into a set of institutional arrangements calculated to protect individual liberty, and he explores the deep affinity between political moderation and constitutional complexity. Craiutu demonstrates how moderation navigates between political extremes, and he challenges the common notion that moderation is an essentially conservative virtue, stressing instead its eclectic nature.

Drawing on a broad range of writings in political theory, the history of political thought, philosophy, and law, A Virtue for Courageous Minds reveals how the virtue of political moderation can address the profound complexities of the world today.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Political moderation is the touchstone of democracy, which could not function without compromise and bargaining, yet it is one of the most understudied concepts in political theory. How can we explain this striking paradox? Why do we often underestimate the virtue of moderation? Seeking to answer these questions, A Virtue for Courageous Minds examines moderation in modern French political thought and sheds light on the French Revolution and its legacy.

Aurelian Craiutu begins with classical thinkers who extolled the virtues of a moderate approach to politics, such as Aristotle and Cicero. He then shows how Montesquieu inaugurated the modern rebirth of this tradition by laying the intellectual foundations for moderate government. Craiutu looks at important figures such as Jacques Necker, Madame de Staël, and Benjamin Constant, not only in the context of revolutionary France but throughout Europe. He traces how moderation evolves from an individual moral virtue into a set of institutional arrangements calculated to protect individual liberty, and he explores the deep affinity between political moderation and constitutional complexity. Craiutu demonstrates how moderation navigates between political extremes, and he challenges the common notion that moderation is an essentially conservative virtue, stressing instead its eclectic nature.

Drawing on a broad range of writings in political theory, the history of political thought, philosophy, and law, A Virtue for Courageous Minds reveals how the virtue of political moderation can address the profound complexities of the world today.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book Of War and Law by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book Partiality by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book Ibn Khaldun by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book The Unquiet Frontier by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book The Chosen Few by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book Our Minds, Our Selves by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book Masada by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book An Essay on Man by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book John Napier by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book The Maine Woods by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book Racism by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book Democracy for Realists by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book Bovids of the World by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book Christianity in the Twentieth Century by Aurelian Craiutu
Cover of the book Workers' Tales by Aurelian Craiutu
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy