The State As Parent

 The waning of traditional institutions, Reardon argues, has left the solitary individual much more susceptible to mass movements and the ever-growing power of the state. Turning a critical eye on the individualist thought of John Locke and the collectivist thought of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Reardon shows how they facilitated departures from traditional, family-based notions of society—and how the result has led to a fundamental conflict between the historic internal obligations of the family and the egalitarian requirements of the modern state.

 Penetrating and sure to be controversial, The State As Parent will be essential for students of political philosophy, ethics, and social organization.