The Common Good

In this book, Amitai Etzioni, public intellectual and leading proponent of communitarian values, defends the view that no society can flourish without a shared obligation to the common good. Rejecting claims made by some liberal thinkers that it is not possible to balance individual rights with uncoerced civic responsibility, Etzioni explores a number of key issues which pose important questions for those concerned with promoting the common good in contemporary society. Are we morally obliged to do more for our communities beyond treating everyone as endowed with basic rights? Should privacy be regarded not merely as a right but also as an obligation? And should the right to free speech take priority over the need to protect children from harmful material in the media and on the internet? Etzioni asks how we can strike a healthy balance between individual rights and public safety in an age of global terrorism. He evaluates various new government devices, from wiretaps to viruses, which open our lives to public scrutiny. Particular attention is given to the issues surrounding government-issued DNA tests. The book concludes by questioning whether we can still talk of a relationship between the common good and the nation-state, or whether the online society in which we live will make it increasingly difficult to maintain those communities which are the very homeland of the common good. This new book, by one of the world s leading social and political thinkers, will be important reading for students and scholars of political science, social philosophy, sociology, and public policy, as well as for the interested general reader.

In this book, Amitai Etzioni, public intellectual and leadingproponent of communitarian values, defends the view that no societycan flourish without a shared obligation to "the commongood." Rejecting claims made by some liberal thinkers that itis not possible to balance individual rights with uncoerced civicresponsibility, Etzioni explores a number of key issues which poseimportant questions for those concerned with promoting the commongood in contemporary society. Are we morally obliged to do more forour communities beyond treating everyone as endowed with basicrights? Should privacy be regarded not merely as a right but alsoas an obligation? And should the right to free speech take priorityover the need to protect children from harmful material in themedia and on the internet?Etzioni asks how we can strike a healthy balance betweenindividual rights and public safety in an age of global terrorism.He evaluates various new government devices, from wiretaps toviruses, which open our lives to public scrutiny. Particularattention is given to the issues surrounding government-issued DNAtests. The book concludes by questioning whether we can still talkof a relationship between the common good and the nation-state, orwhether the "online" society in which we live will makeit increasingly difficult to maintain those communities which arethe very homeland of the common good.This new book, by one of the world's leading social andpolitical thinkers, will be important reading for students andscholars of political science, social philosophy, sociology, andpublic policy, as well as for the interested general reader.

Introduction.1. Are Particularistic Obligations Justified?.2. Privacy as an Obligation.3. Children and Free Speech.4. Privacy and Safety in Electronic Communications.5. DNA Testing and Individual Rights.6. What is Political?.7. On Ending Nationalism8. Cyberspace and Democracy