Reading Rasmussen and Den Uyl

Douglas B. Rasmussen and Douglas J. Den Uyl's recent book <I>Norms of Liberty: A Perfectionist Basis for Non-Perfectionist Politics</I> (Penn State University Press 2005) is being received in philosophy and political theory as an important and original defense of liberalism. The book offers a neo-Aristotelian ethic of human flourishing as a basis for a liberal conception of human rights. One of the authors' central contentions is that a key problem for any (liberal) political philosophy is how to establish a political/legal order which in principle does not require that any one person or group's well-being be given structured preference over that of any other. <BR /><BR />This companion volume an interpretive and critical reader features essays from both philosophers and political scientists as well as an omnibus reply by Rasmussen and Den Uyl. <I>Norms of Liberty</I> makes challenging arguments about key issues which makes a multi-disciplinary reader a valuable asset for both students and scholars. <I>Reading Rasmussen and Den Uyl</I> is designed both to explicate the book's arguments and to explore possible objections.