Philip Pettit Livres

Exploring the nature of collective entities, the authors present compelling arguments that challenge traditional views on accountability and agency. They delve into the behaviors of companies, churches, and states, positing that these organizations can function as genuine agents distinct from the individuals within them. Grounded in contemporary theories from social choice, economics, and philosophy, the book provides a thought-provoking analysis of group agency and its implications for understanding collective responsibility.

Exploring the intersections of metaphysics, philosophical psychology, and rational regulation, the essays delve into the nature of thought as rule-following. The first section analyzes how thought adheres to rules, while the second investigates the responsiveness of choice to various factors, maintaining its connection to rationality. The final part addresses the broader implications of these insights for understanding and regulating social behavior, offering a comprehensive view of choice and its normative dimensions.

This book presents an innovative theory of freedom, linking psychological aspects of free agency with political issues. Pettit argues that true freedom involves being responsible and authorized in interactions. It offers a unique perspective, drawing from classical thinkers while addressing contemporary concerns in political philosophy.

Focusing on the psychology of esteem, this groundbreaking work re-evaluates classic theories to highlight their impact on the economy. The authors propose innovative approaches to reshape the economy of esteem, aiming to enhance social outcomes. By offering fresh perspectives on societal functioning, the book encourages readers to reconsider how economic and social systems can be improved for the benefit of all.

This book highlights Hobbes' contributions to language, reasoning, personhood, and group formation, arguing that he pioneered the thesis that language is a cultural innovation that transformed the human mind, overshadowed by his extreme political views.

According to republican theory, we are free persons to the extent that we are protected and secured in the same fundamental choices, on the same public basis, as one another. But there is no public protection or security without a coercive state. Does this mean that any freedom we enjoy is a superficial good that presupposes a deeper, political form of subjection? Philip Pettit addresses this crucial question in On the People's Terms. He argues that state coercion will not involve individual subjection or domination insofar as we enjoy an equally shared form of control over those in power. This claim may seem utopian but it is supported by a realistic model of the institutions that might establish such democratic control. Beginning with a fresh articulation of republican ideas, Pettit develops a highly original account of the rationale of democracy, breathing new life into democratic theory.

An essential reference for anyone interested in this dynamic field, the new edition of A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy is the most current and comprehensive resource available.

"In this work, the prominent political philosopher Philip Pettit embarks on a massive undertaking to offers major new accounts of the foundations of the state and the nature of justice. In doing so Pettit builds a new theory of what the state is and what it ought to be, addresses the normative question of how justice serves as a measure of the success of a state, and the way it should operate in relation to its citizens and other people"--

The book presents a comprehensive republican alternative to prevailing liberal and communitarian theories in political philosophy. It begins by exploring the traditional republican idea of freedom as non-domination, and contrasts this with established negative and positive interpretations of liberty. Pettit offers an eloquent and compelling argument that challenges existing frameworks, providing a fresh perspective on the concept of freedom within a republican context.

To know the nature of any phenomenon or practice, it is often a good idea to learn about how it might have emerged or might have been constructed. The Birth of Ethics offers an account of how morality might have emerged, without any planning, in a society with language but without any properly ethical concepts or practices. The conjectural history that it documents serves a philosophical purpose, for it directs us the role that morality plays in human life and the nature of morality that enables it to play that role.