A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles

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Basic Books, 2007 M06 5 - 352 pages
Thomas Sowell’s “extraordinary” explication of the competing visions of human nature lie at the heart of our political conflicts (New York Times)

Controversies in politics arise from many sources, but the conflicts that endure for generations or centuries show a remarkably consistent pattern. In this classic work, Thomas Sowell analyzes this pattern. He describes the two competing visions that shape our debates about the nature of reason, justice, equality, and power: the "constrained" vision, which sees human nature as unchanging and selfish, and the "unconstrained" vision, in which human nature is malleable and perfectible. A Conflict of Visions offers a convincing case that ethical and policy disputes circle around the disparity between both outlooks.

From inside the book

Contents

The Role of Visions 3
3
Constrained and Unconstrained Visions 9
9
Visions of Knowledge and Reason 36
36
Visions of Social Processes 69
69
Varieties and Dynamics of Visions 102
102
APPLICATIONS
131
Visions of Equality 133
133
Visions of Power 156
156
Visions of Justice 192
192
Visions Values and Paradigms 230
230
Notes 265
265
Index 307
307
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About the author (2007)

Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is the author of dozens of books including Charter Schools and Their Enemies, winner of the 2021 Hayek Book Prize. He is the recipient of numerous other awards, including the National Humanities Medal, presented by the President of the United States in 2003.

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