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BeckerLawrence C.: Lawrence C. Beckeris a fellow of Hollins University and professor emeritus of philosophy at the College of William Mary. He was an associate editor of the journal Ethicsfrom 1985-2000, and the editor, with Charlotte B. Becker, of two editions of the Encyclopedia of Ethics.

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- PART ONE: THE WAY THINGS STAND -- 1. The Conceit -- 2. A New Agenda for Stoic Ethics -- 3. The Ruins of Doctrine -- PART TWO: THE WAY THINGS MIGHT GO -- 4. Normative Logic -- 5. Following the Facts -- 6. Virtue -- 7. Happiness -- Appendix. A Calculus for Normative Logic -- Postscript to the Revised Edition -- Bibliography -- Index

What would stoic ethics be like today if stoicism had survived as a systematic approach to ethical theory, and if it had coped successfully with the challenges of modern philosophy and experimental science?What would stoic ethics be like today if stoicism had survived as a systematic approach to ethical theory, if it had coped successfully with the challenges of modern philosophy and experimental science? A New Stoicism proposes an answer to that question, offered from within the stoic tradition but without the metaphysical and psychological assumptions that modern philosophy and science have abandoned. Lawrence Becker argues that a secular version of the stoic ethical project, based on contemporary cosmology and developmental psychology, provides the basis for a sophisticated form of ethical naturalism, in which virtually all the hard doctrines of the ancient Stoics can be clearly restated and defended. Becker argues, in keeping with the ancients, that virtue is one thing, not many; that it, and not happiness, is the proper end of all activity; that it alone is good, all other things being merely rank-ordered relative to each other for the sake of the good; and that virtue is sufficient for happiness. Moreover, he rejects the popular caricature of the stoic as a grave figure, emotionally detached and capable mainly of endurance, resignation, and coping with pain. To the contrary, he holds that while stoic sages are able to endure the extremes of human suffering, they do not have to sacrifice joy to have that ability, and he seeks to turn our attention from the familiar, therapeutic part of stoic moral training to a reconsideration of its theoretical foundations.

What would stoic ethics be like today if stoicism had survived as a systematic approach to ethical theory, if it had coped successfully with the challenges of modern philosophy and experimental science? A New Stoicism proposes an answer to that question, offered from within the stoic tradition but without the metaphysical and psychological assumptions that modern philosophy and science have abandoned. Lawrence Becker argues that a secular version of the stoic ethical project, based on contemporary cosmology and developmental psychology, provides the basis for a sophisticated form of ethical naturalism, in which virtually all the hard doctrines of the ancient Stoics can be clearly restated and defended. Becker argues, in keeping with the ancients, that virtue is one thing, not many; that it, and not happiness, is the proper end of all activity; that it alone is good, all other things being merely rank-ordered relative to each other for the sake of the good; and that virtue is sufficient for happiness. Moreover, he rejects the popular caricature of the stoic as a grave figure, emotionally detached and capable mainly of endurance, resignation, and coping with pain. To the contrary, he holds that while stoic sages are able to endure the extremes of human suffering, they do not have to sacrifice joy to have that ability, and he seeks to turn our attention from the familiar, therapeutic part of stoic moral training to a reconsideration of its theoretical foundations

Much discussion of morality presupposes that moral judgments are always, at bottom, arbitrary. Moral scepticism, or at least moral relativism, has become common currency among the liberally educated. This remains the case even while political crises become intractable, and it is increasingly apparent that the scope of public policy formulated with no reference to moral justification is extremely limited.The thesis of On Justifying Moral Judgments insists, on the contrary, that rigorous justifications are possible for moral judgments. Crucially, Becker argues for the coordination of the three m

The tendency to reciprocate - to return good for good and evil for evil - is a potent force in human life, and the concept of reciprocity is closely connected to fundamental notions of 'justice', 'obligation' or 'duty', 'gratitude' and 'equality'. In Reciprocity, first published in 1986, Lawrence Becker presents a sustained argument about reciprocity, beginning with the strategy for developing a moral theory of the virtues. He considers the concept of reciprocity in detail, contending that it is a basic virtue that provides the basis for parental authority, obligations to future generations, a

1. Introduction -- 2. Property rights -- 3. The argument from first occupancy -- 4. The labor theory of property acquisition -- 5. Arguments from utility -- 6. The argument from political liberty -- 7. Considerations of moral character -- 8. Anti-property arguments -- 9. The justification of property rights.

This book focuses on the current political and security issues with the U.S. and Kenya relations. The U.S. government views Kenya as a strategic partner and anchor state in East Africa, and as critical to counterterrorism efforts in the region. Kenya has repeatedly been a target of terrorist attacks, and, as the September 2013 attack on an upscale Nairobi shopping mall underscores, terrorist threats against international and domestic targets in Kenya remain a serious concern. Kenya has enjoyed a long history of economic leadership in East Africa as the largest and most advanced economy in the

""Cover""; ""Contents""; ""Introduction""; ""Part 1: Habilitation and Basic Justice""; ""Preface to Part One""; ""1. Concepts and Conceptions: Basic Justice and Habilitation""; ""1. Basic Justice""; ""2. Habilitation: Concept and Conception""; ""3. Normative Theories with a Close Connection to Habilitation""; ""4. Habilitation: Conception and Framework""; ""2. The Circumstances of Habilitation for Basic Justice""; ""1. Humean Accounts""; ""2. Functional Abilities in a Given Range of Environments""; ""3. Summary of the Circumstances of Habilitation""; ""4. The Centrality of Health and Agency""

Intro -- Contents -- Figures and Tables -- About the Editors -- The Internet: The Latest Harbinger of Social Change -- Modern Technology Meets Congressional Traditions -- Chapter 1: Population -- Figure 1-1: Population Change 1990-2004 -- What is the Total Population of the United States? -- Population by State -- People Living In Cities and Metropolitan Areas -- Farm, Rural, and Nonmetropolitan Population -- U.S. Regional Growth and Migration -- Age and Dependency -- How Do The States Differ In The Ages of Their Population? -- Births and Fertility -- Nonmarital Births, Teen Births -- Mortality and Life Expentancy: The Chances of Dying -- Racial and Ethnic Composition -- Web Sites -- Chapter 2: Households and Families -- Marital Status -- Age at Marriage -- Will People Marry At All? -- Will Marriage Last? -- Non-Traditional" Households -- Living with Grandma and Grandpa -- How are the Children Doing? -- Child Care Arrangements -- How Much Does Child Care Cost? -- Web Sites -- Chapter 3: Social Conditions -- Aging -- Characteristics of the Elderly -- Economic Circumstances -- Health -- Impact on Government Spending -- Social Services -- Children -- Characteristics -- Indicators of Children's Well-Being -- Rural America -- Population and Migration -- Housing -- Characteristics of Farms and Farm Owners -- The Economics of Agriculture -- Immigration and Immigrants -- Legal Immigration -- Illegal Immigration -- Emigration -- Naturalization -- Foreign-Born -- Language Spoken in Home and Ancestry -- Web Sites -- Chapter 4: Labor Force and Job Characteristics -- Introduction -- Labor Force Growth -- Why People Aren't Working -- Mothers In The Labor Force -- Trends in Unemployment -- Employment Status of Blacks and Hispanics -- Persons With More Than One Job -- Occupation, Industry, and Education of Workers -- Years With Current Employer