Putting Morality Back into Politics is a self descriptive title in which Richard Ryder puts forth a theory for increasing the standards for ethical and moral conduct for modern day government and politics. While the criteria for those standards are not well defined in this book, a good theoretical foundation is laid in the first half of the book which focuses on conventional and traditional philosophical questions and how many great thinkers of traditional western thought have perceived them. Professor Ryder draws on the philosophy of Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, Plato, Aristotle, and a host of other famous and fascinating scholars from ancient Greece to the post-modern age.

The first half of this book provides a well written, concise, consolidated history of ethical and moral thought that has evolved over the last 2,500 years. With the exception of a relatively few of these thinkers, most were not actively involved in politics and ethics themselves. Most of them were some of the greatest minds that have lived on earth, however, were not of the tradition of the "Philosopher-King" described in such great works as the Republic of Plato. In Putting Morality Back into Politics, the politics of modern day leaders such as, George W. Bush and Tony Blair are compared to the ideological principles set forth by ideological philosophies that where described by academics and thinkers rather than actual rulers in former ages. Nevertheless, Ryder does a good job of giving insight on how to improve the ethics of modern governorship by promoting honesty between the ruling classes and the governed.

In addition, Ryder provides a good endorsement of the need for free press, open communication, and oversight of government affairs. For true checks and balances of government to be maintained clear public access must prevail to prevent rulers from taking advantage of their power. Ryder’s argument maintains that even modern day democracies can have rulers that manipulate or control information to further their agenda’s. Ryder concludes that certain events within the Blair and Bush Administrations such as, the Iraq war was unjustified and was made due in part to faulty intelligence that was manipulated in order to further the Administration’s agenda. Increasing the level of morality and ethics of current politics for Ryder involves clear oversight of governmental affairs, definition of clear objectives, and free communication and access by the public. Putting Morality Back into Politics is an informative book for the serious scholar and I would recommend it to all persons interested in the level of morality and ethics in the post-modern world.

© 2007 Steven Napier

Steven Napier received his MA in Political Science from Marshall University in December, 2005. Currently he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Studies at the University of Cincinnati where he is specializing in educational and political theory.

Categories: Ethics