A John Simmons
Biographic Data
| ID | 958293 |
|---|---|
| NAME | A John Simmons |
| GIVEN NAMES | A John |
| FAMILY NAME | Simmons |
| SIGNATURE | SIMMONS A J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Virginia |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 38 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 254 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 36 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1977 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2016 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Boundaries of Authority
Modern states claim (and exercise) rights of jurisdiction and control over particular geographical areas and their associated natural resources. 'Boundaries of Authority' explores the possible moral bases for such territorial claims by states, in the process arguing that many of these territorial claims in fact lack any moral justification
Human Rights, Natural Rights, and Human Dignity
This chapter explores various foundational accounts of human rights theory. It considers centrally the accounts of Jeremy Waldron and Charles Beitz. It suggests that a natural rights account can capture the modern and institutional characters displayed by some human rights claims, while still conceiving of the rights at issue as suitably timeless and pre-institutional. Against Waldron, the chapter argues that his preferred account of the relation…
Democratic Authority and the Boundary Problem
Theories of political authority divide naturally into those that locate the source of states' authority in the history of states' interactions with their subjects and those that locate it in structural (or functional) features of states (such as the justice of their basic institutions). This paper argues that purely structuralist theories of political authority (such as those defended by K ant, R awls, and contemporary “democratic K antians”) mus…
Ideal and Nonideal Theory
Justification and Legitimacy
The Cambridge Companion to Early Modern Philosophy
The Cambridge Companion to Early Modern Philosophy is a comprehensive introduction to the central topics and changing shape of philosophical inquiry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It explores one of the most innovative periods in the history of Western philosophy, extending from Montaigne, Bacon and Descartes through Hume and Kant. During this period, philosophers initiated and responded to major intellectual developments in natural…
Consent Theory for Libertarians
This paper argues that libertarian political philosophers, including Robert Nozick, have erred in neglecting the problem of political obligation and that they ought to embrace an actual consent theory of political obligation and state legitimacy. It argues as well that if they followed this recommendation, their position on the subject would be correct. I identify the tension in libertarian (and especially Nozick's) thought between its minimalist…
Consent Theory for Libertarians
It is curious that in libertarian political philosophy there is almost no discussion of the traditional problem of political obligation. I call this “curious” not only because of my own belief that this problem is centrally important in political philosophy, but also because libertarians would seem to be oriented in political philosophy in a way that would make the problem of political obligation particularly central for them. After all, many lib…
Descartes on the Cognitive Structure of Sensory Experience
Descartes is often thought to bifurcate sensory experience into two distinct cognitive components: the sensing of secondary qualities and the more or less intellectual perceiving of primary qualities. A closer examination of his analysis of sensory perception in the Sixth Replies and his treatment of sensory processing in the Dioptrics and Treatise on Man tells a different story. I argue that Descartes offers a unified cognitive account of sensor…
Political Obligation and Authority
The prelims comprise: The Basic Concepts The Philosophical Problem Brief History Socrates and the Three Strategies Particularity and Natural Duty Accounts Associative Accounts Transactional Accounts Pluralist and Anarchist Responses Bibliography
On the Territorial Rights of States 1
Changing the Cartesian Mind: Leibniz on Sensation, Representation and Consciousness
Research Article| January 01 2001 Changing the Cartesian Mind: Leibniz on Sensation, Representation and Consciousness Alison Simmons Alison Simmons Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google The Philosophical Review (2001) 110 (1): 31–75. https://doi.org/10.1215/00318108-110-1-31 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Alison Simmons; Changing the Cartesian Mind: Leibniz on…
Justification and Legitimacy: Essays on Rights and Obligations
A. John Simmons is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and creative of today's political philosophers. His work on political obligation is regarded as definitive and he is also internationally respected as an interpreter of John Locke. The characteristic features of clear argumentation and careful scholarship that have been hallmarks of his philosophy are everywhere evident in this collection. The essays focus on the problems of politic…
Justification and Legitimacy
In this chapter I will discuss the relationship between two of the most basic ideas in political and legal philosophy: the justification of the state and state legitimacy. I plainly cannot aspire here to a complete account of these matters, but I hope to be able to say enough to motivate a way of thinking about the relation between these notions that is, I believe, superior to the approach which seems to be dominant in contemporary political phil…
The Principle of Fair Play
The traditional consent theory account of political obligation can be understood as advancing two basic claims. (1) All or most citizens, at least within reasonably just political communities, have political obligations (that is, moral obligations or duties to obey the law and support the political institutions of their countries of residence). (2) All political obligations are grounded in personal consent (express or tacit). Today most political…
An Essay on the Modern State
Book Review| April 01 2000 An Essay on the Modern State AN ESSAY ON THE MODERN STATE. By Christopher W. Morris. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Pp. x, 305. A. John Simmons A. John Simmons Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google The Philosophical Review (2000) 109 (2): 271–273. https://doi.org/10.1215/00318108-109-2-271 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation…
An Essay on the Modern State
Jesuit Aristotelian Education: The De Anima Commentaries
Justification and Legitimacy
“Denisons” and “Aliens”: Locke's Problem of Political Consent
Etude du probleme du consentement expresse et du consentement tacite dans la theorie du corps politique developpee par Locke dans le «Second traite du gouvernement». Soulevant le paradoxe de l'obligation d'obeissance a la loi et de la non-appartenance des etrangers a la societe des habitants, l'A. propose une lecture du chapitre 8 du «Second traite» de Locke qui eclaire la definition volontariste du consentement a l'autorite politique par la conc…
Democracy's Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy
The Limits of Lockean Rights in Property
A comprehensive interpretation of Locke's argument for the legitimacy of private property, and a critical assessment of that argument, including an exploration of its defensibility in modern terms, as well as its limits
On the Edge of Anarchy: Locke, Consent, and the Limits of Society
This book completes A. John Simmons's exploration and development of Lockean moral and political philosophy, a project begun in The Lockean Theory of Rights (Princeton paperback edition, 1994). Here Simmons discusses the Lockean view of the nature of, grounds for, and limits on political relations between persons.Originally published in 1993.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously…
Associative Political Obligations
External Justifications and Institutional Roles
L'A. defend le point de vue standard de la nature et de la justification des obligations institutionnelles, contre l'approche volontariste des obligations de role developpee par M. Hardimon a partir de l'idee d'une acceptation par contrat de la fonction («The journal of philosophy», XCI, 7, 1994, pp. 333-63). L'A. propose de nuancer cette approche en introduisant le critere des benefices lies a l'obligation de role
Ideal and Nonideal Theory
Moral Principles and Political Obligations
Outlining the major competing theories in the history of political and moral philosophy--from Locke and Hume through Hart, Rawls, and Nozick--John Simmons attempts to understand and solve the ancient problem of political obligation. Under what conditions and for what reasons (if any), he asks, are we morally bound to obey the law and support the political institutions of our countries?
Locke's State of Nature
T HE STATE OF NATURE is in many ways the central concept at work in Locke's Two Treatises of Govertnmnent. It is the concept with which Locke chooses to introduce the Second Treati.se.' And it is only against and by means of the state of nature that Locke offers us accounts of political obligation and authority, the limits on political power, and the occasions for justified resistance. But the state of nature is probably also, as John Dunn has ob…
Descartes on the Cognitive Structure of Sensory Experience
Descartes is often thought to bifurcate sensory experience into two distinct cognitive components: the sensing of secondary qualities and the more or less intellectual perceiving of primary qualities. A closer examination of his analysis of sensory perception in the Sixth Replies and his treatment of sensory processing in the Dioptrics and Treatise on Man tells a different story. I argue that Descartes offers a unified cognitive account of sensor…
External Justifications and Institutional Roles
L'A. defend le point de vue standard de la nature et de la justification des obligations institutionnelles, contre l'approche volontariste des obligations de role developpee par M. Hardimon a partir de l'idee d'une acceptation par contrat de la fonction («The journal of philosophy», XCI, 7, 1994, pp. 333-63). L'A. propose de nuancer cette approche en introduisant le critere des benefices lies a l'obligation de role
Changing the Cartesian Mind: Leibniz on Sensation, Representation and Consciousness
Research Article| January 01 2001 Changing the Cartesian Mind: Leibniz on Sensation, Representation and Consciousness Alison Simmons Alison Simmons Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google The Philosophical Review (2001) 110 (1): 31–75. https://doi.org/10.1215/00318108-110-1-31 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Alison Simmons; Changing the Cartesian Mind: Leibniz on…
Social Justice
Bentham
Tyranny and Legitimacy: A Critique of Political Theories
Moral Principles and Political Obligations
Outlining the major competing theories in the history of political and moral philosophy--from Locke and Hume through Hart, Rawls, and Nozick--John Simmons attempts to understand and solve the ancient problem of political obligation. Under what conditions and for what reasons (if any), he asks, are we morally bound to obey the law and support the political institutions of our countries?
Right and Wrong
The Limits of Obligation
International Ethics: A Philosophy and Public Affairs Reader
This book is comprised of essays previously published in Philosophy & Public Affairs and also an extended excerpt from Michael Walzer's Just and Unjust Wars
Hobbesian Moral and Political Theory
In recent years serious attempts have been made to systematize and develop the moral and political themes of great philosophers of the past. Kant, Locke, Marx, and the classical utilitarians all have their current defenders and arc taken seriously as expositors of sound moral and political views. It is the aim of this book to introduce Hobbes into this select group by presenting a plausible moral and political theory inspired by Leviathan. Using …
Locke's State of Nature
T HE STATE OF NATURE is in many ways the central concept at work in Locke's Two Treatises of Govertnmnent. It is the concept with which Locke chooses to introduce the Second Treati.se.' And it is only against and by means of the state of nature that Locke offers us accounts of political obligation and authority, the limits on political power, and the occasions for justified resistance. But the state of nature is probably also, as John Dunn has ob…
The Lockean Theory of Rights
John Locke's political theory has been the subject of many detailed treatments by philosophers and political scientists. But The Lockean Theory of Rights is the first systematic, full-length study of Locke's theory of rights and of its potential for making genuine contributions to contemporary debates about rights and their place in political philosophy. Given that the rights of persons are the central moral concept at work in Locke's and Lockean…
The Lockean theory of rights
John Locke's political theory has been the subject of many detailed treatments by philosophers and political scientists. But The Lockean Theory of Rights is the first systematic, full-length study of Locke's theory of rights and of its potential for making genuine contributions to contemporary debates about rights and their place in political philosophy. Given that the rights of persons are the central moral concept at work in Locke's and Lockean…
Punishment: A Philosophy and Public Affairs Reader
The problem of justifying legal punishment has been at the heart of legal and social philosophy from the very earliest recorded philosophical texts. However, despite several hundred years of debate, philosophers have not reached agreement about how legal punishment can be morally justified. That is the central issue addressed by the contributors to this volume. All of the essays collected here have been published in the highly respected journal P…
Historical rights and fair shares
Associative Political Obligations
External Justifications and Institutional Roles
L'A. defend le point de vue standard de la nature et de la justification des obligations institutionnelles, contre l'approche volontariste des obligations de role developpee par M. Hardimon a partir de l'idee d'une acceptation par contrat de la fonction («The journal of philosophy», XCI, 7, 1994, pp. 333-63). L'A. propose de nuancer cette approche en introduisant le critere des benefices lies a l'obligation de role
On the Edge of Anarchy: Locke, Consent, and the Limits of Society
This book completes A. John Simmons's exploration and development of Lockean moral and political philosophy, a project begun in The Lockean Theory of Rights (Princeton paperback edition, 1994). Here Simmons discusses the Lockean view of the nature of, grounds for, and limits on political relations between persons.Originally published in 1993.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously…
“Denisons” and “Aliens”: Locke's Problem of Political Consent
Etude du probleme du consentement expresse et du consentement tacite dans la theorie du corps politique developpee par Locke dans le «Second traite du gouvernement». Soulevant le paradoxe de l'obligation d'obeissance a la loi et de la non-appartenance des etrangers a la societe des habitants, l'A. propose une lecture du chapitre 8 du «Second traite» de Locke qui eclaire la definition volontariste du consentement a l'autorite politique par la conc…
Democracy's Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy
The Limits of Lockean Rights in Property
A comprehensive interpretation of Locke's argument for the legitimacy of private property, and a critical assessment of that argument, including an exploration of its defensibility in modern terms, as well as its limits
Jesuit Aristotelian Education: The De Anima Commentaries
Justification and Legitimacy
Justification and Legitimacy: Essays on Rights and Obligations
A. John Simmons is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and creative of today's political philosophers. His work on political obligation is regarded as definitive and he is also internationally respected as an interpreter of John Locke. The characteristic features of clear argumentation and careful scholarship that have been hallmarks of his philosophy are everywhere evident in this collection. The essays focus on the problems of politic…
Justification and Legitimacy
In this chapter I will discuss the relationship between two of the most basic ideas in political and legal philosophy: the justification of the state and state legitimacy. I plainly cannot aspire here to a complete account of these matters, but I hope to be able to say enough to motivate a way of thinking about the relation between these notions that is, I believe, superior to the approach which seems to be dominant in contemporary political phil…
The Principle of Fair Play
The traditional consent theory account of political obligation can be understood as advancing two basic claims. (1) All or most citizens, at least within reasonably just political communities, have political obligations (that is, moral obligations or duties to obey the law and support the political institutions of their countries of residence). (2) All political obligations are grounded in personal consent (express or tacit). Today most political…
An Essay on the Modern State
Book Review| April 01 2000 An Essay on the Modern State AN ESSAY ON THE MODERN STATE. By Christopher W. Morris. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Pp. x, 305. A. John Simmons A. John Simmons Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google The Philosophical Review (2000) 109 (2): 271–273. https://doi.org/10.1215/00318108-109-2-271 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation…
Philosophy (28 works) · Political science (27 works) · Epistemology (24 works) · Law (23 works) · Sociology (23 works) · Law and economics (18 works) · Political Philosophy and Ethics (17 works) · Politics (16 works) · Political philosophy (9 works) · American Constitutional Law and Politics (8 works)