The Good Life and the Good State

“Katharina Nieswandt’s The Good Life and the Good State is a groundbreaking work revitalizing ancient political philosophy for contemporary philosophy. Drawing on the insights of neo-Aristotelian ethical theory, Nieswandt offers a compelling argument for the state’s role in enabling human flourishing. Her approach addresses a crucial gap in modern political thought, posing a challenge as profound as Anscombe’s critique of modern moral philosophy. The book’s innovative perspective and potential to reshape our understanding of community and individual flourishing make it essential for anyone engaged with political philosophy and virtue ethics.” — John Hacker-Wright, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Guelph “The Good Life and the Good State figures out the consequences of an important body of work on practical reasoning for political theory. It develops the idea that political philosophy needs a conception of the common good that is an alternative both to the tradition of seeing the state as a device, one whose justification consists in serving the independently intelligible welfare of individuals, and to collectivist conceptions of the state, on which it is justified by appeal to a specifically collective good (e.g., of the nation or the race whose state it is). Those conceptions presuppose the instrumentalist conception of practical rationality, on which reasons for action are always tied to the further ends they serve. Nieswandt proposes instead that the political common good is to be spelled out on the model of the reasons that thoughtful parents give for having children. This is a hitherto unoccupied and promising position within political philosophy.” — Elijah Millgram, E. E. Ericksen Distinguished Professor, University of Utah “The aim of this book is to propose and defend a new theory of government—what Nieswandt calls ‘constitutivism.’ Along the way, she discusses a wide range of political theories, both historical and contemporary; examines and critiques both privatism and collectivism; delves into instrumentalist versus constitutive reasons; and takes us into the topics of institutional design, freedom, and autonomy, among many other interesting topics. Her conclusion is that common goods aren’t possible unless the personal good of each member of a community is served. This is a radical idea for anyone who seeks to understand the nature of a political community that has the capacity to effect the ongoing happiness of its members.” — Nancy E. Snow, Professor of Philosophy, The University of Kansas “In this clear and accessible monograph, Katharina Nieswandt lays out the arguments for ‘constitutivism,’ a political theory emphasizing the interdependence of personal and common goods. A neo-Aristotelian approach to issues concerning practical rationality and human nature forms the basis of this persuasive and perceptive account of the state and why we need it.” — Dr. Roger Teichmann, Lecturer in Philosophy, St Hilda’s College, Oxford, OX4 1DY “The Good Life and the Good State figures out the consequences of an important body of work on practical reasoning for political theory. It develops the idea that political philosophy needs a conception of the common good that is an alternative both to the tradition of seeing the state as a device, one whose justification consists in serving the independently intelligible welfare of individuals, and to collectivist conceptions of the state, on which it is justified by appeal to a specifically collective good (e.g., of the nation or the race whose state it is). Those conceptions presuppose the instrumentalist conception of practical rationality, on which reasons for action are always tied to the further ends they serve. Nieswandt proposes instead that the political common good is to be spelled out on the model of the reasons that thoughtful parents give for having children. This is a hitherto unoccupied and promising position within political philosophy.” — Elijah Millgram, E. E. Ericksen Distinguished Professor, University of Utah “Katharina Nieswandt’s The Good Life and the Good State: A Neo-Aristotelian Theory of Government provides a genuine alternative to the paradigm of Rawlsian liberalism in political philosophy. Nieswandt shows that Aristotle is not only a rich source for a compelling theory of government, but further, she grounds her view in a novel theory of practical reasoning and rational choice. Nieswandt thus bridges the gap between ancient and modern political thought without being anachronistic or dogmatic.” — Tristan Rogers, Donum Dei Classical Academy in San Francisco, CA, USA “The aim of this book is to propose and defend a new theory of government—what Nieswandt calls ‘constitutivism.’ Along the way, she discusses a wide range of political theories, both historical and contemporary; examines and critiques both privatism and collectivism; delves into instrumentalist versus constitutive reasons; and takes us into the topics of institutional design, freedom, and autonomy, among many other interesting topics. Her conclusion is that common goods aren’t possible unless the personal good of each member of a community is served. This is a radical idea for anyone who seeks to understand the nature of a political community that has the capacity to effect the ongoing happiness of its members.” — Nancy E. Snow, Professor of Philosophy, The University of Kansas “This book defends ‘constitutivism’ as a holistic approach to thinking about political life and the common good as more than a mere collection of private individuals. The author articulates a novel update of Aristotelian theory that provides an interesting response to the atomic thinking of modern liberalism.” — Andrew Fiala, Professor of Philosophy, California State University, Fresno, USA