Beyond Contractual Morality: Ethics, Law, and Literature in Eighteenth-century FranceUniversity Rochester Press, 2001 - 233 pages Beyond Contractual Morality looks at current debates over the meaning of liberalism by reexamining their roots in eighteenth-century texts, which demonstrate the historical intertwining of political, legal and moral problems in their extension of social contract theory into various realms of public and private lives. Writers such as Rousseau, Voltaire, Sade, and Montesquieu are discussed. In light of contemporary debates over liberalism, and informed by the problems of contemporary democratic, pluralistic culture, Beyond Contractual Morality reexamines the roots of these current discussions in eighteenth-century texts. Enlightenment texts demonstrate the historical intertwining of political, legal and moral problems in their extension of social contract theory into various realms of private and public life. Specifically, these textspoint to an over-reliance on the notion of contract to resolve ethical dilemmas. A range of issues and authors is discussed, including: the historical development of social contract theory from Hobbes to Rousseau; conflicting conceptions of education in Rousseau's writings; the rise of professional ethics; the concept of tolerance as discussed by Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau; the divide between the public and private realms in the writings of Charriere and Sade. Beyond Contractual Morality concludes with a reemphasis on the contemporary context of debate and proposes a defense of a revised version of liberalism that can take account of positive duties without sacrificing individual autonomy.Julia Simon is Associate Professor of French at the Pennsylvania State University. |
Table des matières
Education | 21 |
Property Contract and Tort | 43 |
and Public Obligation | 71 |
Value Neutrality and the Virtue of Tolerance | 98 |
From Tolerance to Sympathy | 119 |
The Public and Private Spheres | 145 |
The Marriage Contract | 174 |
viii | 203 |
Expressions et termes fréquents
argue behavior bien bourgeois c'est Cambridge categorical imperative Cécile century chapter Charrière Charrière's citizens civic civil communitarian compassion conception concerning conflict context create critique cultural dialogue Diderot Discourse discussion droit eighteenth Emile Emile's Emile's education Encyclopédie Enlightenment ethical father feelings formulation France Henley hommes human imperfect duties individual interests Isaiah Berlin Jean-Jacques Rousseau John Rawls Julie's Jürgen Habermas Lettres liberalism libertines liberty limits Marcel Raymond marriage contract Mary Wollstonecraft Montesquieu moral freedom moral relations narrative natural law negative negative liberty novel obligation Oeuvres complètes Oxford Paris peut pity pleasure Political Theory polygamy position practices preceptor private moral conscience private sphere protect public and private public sphere qu'il qu'on question realm regulation relationship religious represents requires rights and freedom Rous Sade Sade's Saint-Preux social contract theory society sympathy texts tion trans University Press virtue Voltaire Wolmar women