Tuesday, December 9, 2014

New Release: The Political Animal


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CESJ Publishes THE POLITICAL ANIMAL: ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
Economic Justice Media, ISBN: 978-0944997062, 144 pp. $10.00
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA (December 1, 2014) — Is it possible to be a good person and at the same time a good citizen within a defective or unjust society or institution?  In The Political Animal: Economic Justice and the Sovereignty of the Human Person, author Michael D. Greaney, Director of Research of the Center for Economic and Social Justice in Arlington, Virginia, USA, answers this age-old dilemma with a resounding “Yes!”

Why does it seem as if to be a good person these days you must sometimes go counter to the interests of the community, and to be a good member of the community you must violate your ethical standards?  Mr. Greaney contends that this apparent disparity results from the fact that our institutional environment, the common good, is badly structured. The system inadvertently promotes many concepts directly contrary to human nature, and creates a conflict that is as artificial as it is unnecessary.
To solve this quandary and bring our institutions back into conformity with basic moral values to serve their true social purpose, people need to act politically. In other words, people need to organize and begin acting directly on institutions in a manner that respects both individual rights and the social environment.  In this way, society can encourage virtuous behavior instead of inhibiting or preventing it.
In order to organize effectively and implement and maintain a just political order, it is essential that individuals and families be empowered, particularly economically through capital ownership. The first targets for reform are the institutions of money and credit, and taxation. These institutions must be reformed to remove barriers that inhibit or prevent most people from becoming owners of capital without harming the ownership rights of those who now enjoy capital ownership.
As a practical measure, the author argues that leaders, academics, and people from all walks of life should give serious consideration to a proposal called “Capital Homesteading” as a financially feasible and politically viable means for building a more just economy and empowering every person as an owner of productive capital.
Mr. Greaney is the author of In Defense of Human Dignity (2008), Supporting Life: The Case for a Pro-Life Economic Agenda (2010), and The Restoration of Property: A Reexamination of a Natural Right (2012).
Ordering Information
Individual copies of The Political Animal may be purchased from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, as well as by special order from many bookstores.  Bulk/Wholesale orders (10 copies or more) may be purchased directly from the publisher for 20% off the cover price, plus shipping.  Please send an e-mail to publications [at] cesj [dot] org for details.
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