Duty Bound: Responsibility and American Public Life

In this timely and enlightening new work, Mark Blitz explores the link between character and politics in liberal democracies, focusing on the importance of responsibility in American public and professional life. He begins by analyzing the place of responsibility in politics, tackling contemporary questions with an eye toward foreign policy and the workings of bureaucracies. Turning to the ways in which responsibility functions in the professions, Blitz critically examines the link between responsible character and the conditions for success in law, journalism, education, and philanthropy. Paying particular attention to biotechnology, Blitz explores responsibility’s future and limits in a field fraught with theoretical and practical controversy. Finally, Blitz places liberalism and responsibility in a philosophical context through a thoughtful discussion of John Locke’s philosophy. As the nation hotly debates the role of values and character, Duty Bound is a timely look at the importance of one of America’s classic civic virtues.