T H Green S Theory Of Positive Freedom

In this new and entirely revised edition of his study of Green's theory of positive freedom, Ben Wempe argues that the far-reaching and beneficial influence of Green's political doctrine, on public policy as well as in the field of political theory, was founded on a misinterpretation of his philosophical stand, since the metaphysical basis on which Green argued for his political position was largely neglected. The book discusses Green's philosophical development and examines an important, hitherto underrated, influence that went into the formation of his philosophical opinions. It then considers Green's metaphysics and describes how some omissions from the concise version of his metaphysical doctrine, as it is found in his published works, may be remedied by reference to Green's unpublished material.

This book argues that the distinction between positive and negative freedom remains highly pertinent today, despite having fallen out of fashion in the late twentieth century. It proposes a new reading of this distinction for the twenty-first century, building on the work of Constant, Green and Berlin who led the historical development of these ideas. The author defends the idea that freedom is a dynamic interaction between two inseparable, yet sometimes fundamentally, opposed positive and negative concepts – the yin and yang of freedom. Positive freedom is achieved when one succeeds in doing what is right, while negative freedom is achieved when one is able to advance one’s wellbeing. In an environment of culture wars, resurging populism and challenge to progressive liberal values, recognising the duality of freedom can help us better understand the political dilemmas we face and point the way forward. The book analyses the duality of freedom in more philosophical depth than previous studies and places it within the context of both historical and contemporary political thinking. It will be of interest to students and scholars of liberalism and political theory.

This volume collects a range of the most important published critical essays on T.H. Green's political philosophy. These essays consider Green's ethical and political philosophy, his accounts of freedom, rights, political obligation and property and the location of his political theory in the discourses of Victorian liberalism. It concludes with a selection of essays that provide comparative discussions of aspects of Green's political philosophy with positions advanced by Sidgwick, Rousseau, Kant and Hegel, and with both conservative and liberal responses to his ideas that emerged in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Japan.

This book offers a new phenomenological, interpretation of T.H. Green's (1836-1882) philosophy and political theory. By analysing in turn his theory of human practice, the moral idea, the common good, freedom and human rights, the book demonstrates that Green falls into the same tradition as Kantian and Husserlian transcendentalism. The book offers a reconstruction of Green's idealism and demonstrates its potential to address contemporary debates on the nature of moral agency, positive and negative freedom and on justifying human rights.

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