Ethics Under Capital: MacIntyre, Communication, and the Culture Wars

by Jason Hannan, Michael Marder (Series Editor)

We in the West are living in the midst of a deadly culture war. Our rival worldviews clash with increasing violence in the public arena, culminating in deadly riots and mass shootings. A fragmented left now confronts a resurgent and reactionary right, which threatens to reverse decades of social progress. Commentators have declared that we live in a “post-truth world,” one dominated by online trolls and conspiracy theorists. How did we arrive at this cultural crisis? How do we respond?

This book speaks to this critical moment through a new reading of the thought of Alasdair MacIntyre. Over thirty years ago, MacIntyre predicted the coming of a new Dark Ages. The premise of this book is that MacIntyre was right all along. It presents his diagnosis of our cultural crisis. It further presents his answer to the challenge of public reasoning without foundations. Pitting him against John Rawls, Jürgen Habermas, and Chantal Mouffe, Ethics Under Capital argues that MacIntyre offers hope for a critical democratic politics in the face of the culture wars.

Genres: Philosophy

248 pages, Hardcover

Published November 14, 2019

About the author

Jason Hannan is an assistant professor in the Department of Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications at the University of Winnipeg.

Reviews

[Kyrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise and clear overview of Macintyre's philosophy, from a left wing perspective. Helpful contrasts with other philosophical currents. Nagel's account of modern culture wars is introduced quite early but not really returned to.