PERFECTIONISM

The label “perfectionism” attaches to a family of views in moral and political philosophy. Some of these views center on the human good, others on the promotion and preservation of impersonal goods, such as achievement in the arts or natural beauty. This chapter characterizes a perfectionist approach to politics in terms of what it is morally fitting for the state to do; namely that it is legitimate for the state to promote, deliberately and actively, sound conceptions of the good. This chapter clarifies some of the commitments in value theory and some of the substantive proposals embraced by political perfectionists, highlighting a number of key issues and objections associated with these commitments and proposals. Topics discussed include successful human lives, cultural excellence, state neutrality, reasonable disagreement, and autonomy.