The Political Philosophy of Needs [Paperback]

Argues for the rehabilitation of 'human needs' as central to politics and political theory.This ambitious and lively book argues for a rehabilitation of the concept of 'human needs' as central to politics and political theory. Contemporary political philosophy has focussed on issues of justice and welfare to the exclusion of the important issues of political participation, democratic sovereignty, and the satisfaction of human needs, and this has had a deleterious effect on political practice. Hamilton's argument is animated throughout by provocative and original discussions of topics such as autonomy, recognition, rights, civil society, liberalism, and democracy.This ambitious and lively book argues for a rehabilitation of the concept of 'human needs' as central to politics and political theory. Contemporary political philosophy has focussed on issues of justice and welfare to the exclusion of the important issues of political participation, democratic sovereignty, and the satisfaction of human needs, and this has had a deleterious effect on political practice. Hamilton's argument is animated throughout by provocative and original discussions of topics such as autonomy, recognition, rights, civil society, liberalism, and democracy.Lawrence Hamilton argues for the rehabilitation of the concept of human needs as central to politics and political theory. Contemporary political philosophy has focused on issues of justice and welfare, excluding the important issues of political participation, democratic sovereignty, and the satisfaction of human needs, with a deleterious effect on political practice. Hamilton's argument is enhanced throughout by his development of topics such as autonomy, recognition, rights, civil society, liberalism, and democracy.Preface; Introduction; 1. Liberalism's rights-preferences couple; 2. Beyond the rights-preferences couple; 3. The form and outline of the argument; Part I. The Nature of Needs: 4. Need categories; 5. Vital needs; 6. Particul#J