Why have so few countries managed to leave systematic corruption behind, while in many others modernization is still a mere façade? How do we escape the trap of corruption, to reach a governance system based on ethical universalism? In this unique book, Alina Mungiu-Pippidi and Michael Johnston lead a team of eminent researchers on an illuminating path towards deconstructing the few virtuous circles in contemporary governance. The book combines a solid theoretical framework with quantitative evidence and case studies from around the world. While extracting lessons to be learned from the success cases covered, Transitions to Good Governance avoids being prescriptive and successfully contributes to the understanding of virtuous circles in contemporary good governance.
A good university is invariably assumed to be one which is managerially effective in terms of its economic efficiency, and is judged in terms of entrepreneurialism, self-promotion and competitive innovation. This book argues that in the majority of institutions, these goals are being pursued to the exclusion of academic excellence and public service. It proposes that there is a marked lack of intellectual leadership at senior management level within HE institutions and that academic workers must assume responsibility for the moral purposefulness of their institutions. This will not be a retreat into the old values of an elitist 'ivory tower', but a rejection of the current deeply stratified university system which prematurely selects students for differentiated institutional streams.
Towards Justice and Virtue challenges the rivalry between those who advocate only abstract, universal principles of justice and those who commend only the particularities of virtuous lives. Onora O'Neill traces this impasse to defects in underlying conceptions of reasoning about action. She proposes and vindicates a modest account of ethical reasoning and a reasoned way of answering the question 'who counts?', then uses these to construct linked accounts of principles by which we can move towards just institutions and virtuous lives.
Jason Baehr presents a new theory of 'responsibilist' or character-based virtue-epistemology -- an approach in which intellectual character traits are given a central and fundamental role. He examines the nature and structure of an intellectual virtue and accounts for the role of reflection on intellectual virtues in epistemology.
The changing political landscape in the Arab world has created opportunities for economic transformation by tackling long-standing economic issues. Nevertheless, three years after the onset of political transition, implementing necessary economic policies has proven to be challenging. This paper lays out key elements of economic policy reform for Arab countries in transition.
This new, fully revised, and expanded second edition of the handbook for the groundbreaking, evidence-based Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice (MBSP) program is the guide you need in your professional practice. Developed by author Dr. Ryan M. Niemiec, scientist, educator, practitioner, and a global leader in mindfulness and character strengths, the MBSP approach is about the discovery, deepening awareness, exploration, and application of character strengths. It is about understanding and improving how we pay attention in life – the quality by which we eat, walk, work, listen, and experience joy and peace. And it is about seeing our potential – which sits underneath our strengths of perseverance, bravery, curiosity, hope, kindness, fairness, and leadership – and which, unleashed, could benefit the world. MBSP is not only about our clients' own happiness, it is about the happiness of others too. And it is an evolving, evidence-based program that can help people to relieve their suffering by using mindfulness and character strengths to cope with, overcome, or transcend problems, stressors, and conflicts. Counselors, coaches, psychologists, researchers, educators, and managers will discover the "how-to" delivery of mindfulness and character strengths. Following primers on the two strands of MBSP and deeper discussions about their integration, practitioners are then led step-by-step through the 8 sessions of the popular MBSP program. The session structure, scripts, tips, lecture material, processes, examples, and audio files are all there ready for use. This time-tested manual can bring beginners up-to-date on these topics while also serving to stimulate, inform, and provide valuable tools to the intermediate and most advanced students of mindfulness and character strengths. A companion workbook is also available for clients.
Virtue is among the most venerable concepts in philosophy, and has recently seen a major revival. However, new challenges to conceptions of virtue have also arisen. In Current Controversies in Virtue Theory, five pairs of cutting-edge philosophers square off over central topics in virtue theory: the nature of virtue, the connection between virtue and flourishing, the connection between moral and epistemic virtues, the way in which virtues are acquired, and the possibility of attaining virtue. Mark Alfano guides his readers through these essays (all published here for the first time), with a synthetic introduction, succinct abstracts of each debate, suggested further readings and study questions for each controversy, and a list of further controversies to be explored.
Although neo-liberalism has been critiqued from various perspectives, these critiques have not coalesced into a concrete alternative in development economics literature. The main objective of this book is to name and formulate this alternative, identify what is new about this viewpoint, and project it on to the academic landscape.
