European University Institute Library

A political philosophy of conservatism, prudence, moderation and tradition, Ferenc Hörcher

eng

no index present

non fiction

A political philosophy of conservatism

1127107936

Ferenc Hörcher

Bloomsbury studies in the Aristotelian tradition

prudence, moderation and tradition

Bringing prudence back into the centre of political philosophical discussion, this book assesses how far the Aristotelian notion can be of use in thinking about politics today. Antique, medieval and early modern discussions on practical wisdom are reconstructed and re-contextualised to show not only how our understanding of the virtue of 'prudence' has changed over time, but why it should be revived. Starting with basic Aristotelian principles, such as the relevance of cooperation and politics in human life, the significance of the virtues and character-formation for political actors, and the personal and communal resources of right action in politics, Ferenc Hörcher offers an evolutionary history of the concept of prudence. Moving on to incorporate the developments of the Roman and the Christian traditions, a contemporary conservative-republican political philosophy is built up. Special attention is given to the relevance of local customs and traditions as well as participation, compromise and moderation in political activity. --, Provided by publisher

Part One: Prudence in history 1. Ancient and Christian traditions of prudence 2. Renaissance and early modern prudentia 3. Late modern prudentia Conclusion of Part One Part Two: Prudence in conservative philosophy Preliminary remarks 4. Agency-constraint 5. Time-constraint 6. Knowledge-constraint 7. The prudent individual's resources: Virtues and character 8. The prudent community's resources: Tradition and political culture 9. How to find the proper action in politics