Morality and Politics in Modern Europe: The Harvard LecturesIn 'Morality and politics in modern Europe', Oakeshott argues that two conflicting moralities underlie two opposed understandings of the office of government in modern Europe. On one hand is the morality of individuality, according to which the role of government is to frame and enforce rules of law that enable individuals to invent and pursue in peace their own diverse projects. On the other is the morality of collectivism, by which government is interpreted as the manager of a unified enterprise whose function is to provide for the community, regarded as an organic whole that pursues a single project to which all other activities are subordinate. |
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activity of governing Adam Smith anti-individual appeared association Bacon Bentham Burke called choices collectivist concerned condition of human conduct consider constitution and authorization constitution of government context democracy despotism duty emerged engaged enjoy enjoyment enquiry enterprise equality experience of individuality Francis Bacon government appropriate happiness history of political human circumstance idiom impose interest J.S. Mill John Locke justice Kant Kenneth Minogue Locke manner of governing medieval ment merely Michael Oakeshott Mill modern Europe modern European political monarchy Montesquieu moral disposition morality of communal morality of individuality notion occupation of mankind office of government pattern of activity political reflection political theory political thought politics of collectivism principle productivist proper occupation proper office pursuits of governments recognized respect Robert Owen rulers rules secondly self-determination sixteenth century sort sovereign subjects theory of collectivism theory of individualism Timothy Fuller umpire understanding of government understood viduals writers