Article Abstract:
Political theorist and fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, England, John Gray describes himself as a contrarian, and gives the impression of being happiest when attacking conventional wisdom. Gray, a former Thatcherite, now questions free market liberalism. He argues that he is a pluralist, rejoicing in the diversity of values and paths towards the good, while rejecting the notion that he is a relativist who regards all positions as being as good as each other. He argues that humanity shares a common moral horizon, with everyone detesting such affronts to human dignity as torture.
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Article Abstract:
The United Kingdom chancellor, Gordon Brown, is consulting with a number of well-known academics who specialize in social policy, in order to tackle the issue of welfare reform. There is some concern that the government is not taking into account structural reasons for poverty, and how it can be tackled by the government. Many academics, however, are happy that the government appears to be listening to their views when developing its welfare policies.
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Article Abstract:
Francis Fukuyama is a history writer and his latest blockbuster, Trust, discusses trust and mutual dependence which have their roots in pre modern culture. Fukuyama is a former State Department adviser and believes that liberalisam is problematical and can undermine the family and subvert voluntary effort.
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