Alasdair MacIntyre is among the most controversial thinkers of our time: an implacable critic of the incoherence of modern life and liberal theorising, and a rigorous defender of the role of tradition in moral and political thought.
This volume consists of a collection of original essays by leading moral and political philosophers, including Charles Taylor, David Miller and Philip Pettit, assessing the merits and limitations of MacIntyre's work. The book also includes a reply by MacIntyre himself to his critics.
Among the themes explored are MacIntyre's historical arguments about the sources of the failure of modernity; the validity and relevance of his attempt to reinstate ideas of Aristotle and Aquinas as central to any satisfactory moral understanding; the effectiveness of his critique of modern liberalism; and the adequacy of key concepts, such as tradition and practice, in his analysis and argument. The book is concluded by MacIntyre responding to criticism and offering some thoughts about the direction of his future work.
After MacIntyre constitutes a major study of MacIntyre's work by leading political philosophers and social theorists. It will be widely welcomed by students of philosophy, ethics and political theory.