The Family and the Political Self

Having children is the most common aim among human beings. The Family and the Political Self aims to capture the insights that can be gleaned from taking this truth seriously. One truth is that human beings may not be as self-interested as is commonly supposed. In this book Laurence Thomas argues that the best construal of the political self reflects this truth.

• Shows the moral and philosophical significance of what may seem, at the microscopic level, inconsequential • Discusses the power of parental love • Posits the importance of gratitude in the development of human relationships

Introduction; 1. Uniquely valued; 2. Reconceptualizing the moral self; 3. The family as a model for society; 4. From family to E Pluribus Unum; Epilogue: the liberty between Plato and modern liberalism.