Generosity: Virtue In Civil Society

It is often assumed that because the contemporary welfare state is generous, its critics must therefore lack generosity, as well as compassion. Tibor R. Machan, a distinguished moral philosopher, demonstrates why that is a mistaken notion. He places generosity among the human virtues and shows why virtue requires moral choice rather than coercion. He argues that generosity can only be cultivated in freedom because there is no virtue in a compulsory act. This book is a valuable contribution to an important and continuing debate.

“An invaluable contribution to the literature of freedom, Generosity presents a powerful case in support of the conclusion that the ‘compassionate state’ undermines the compassion of its citizens, and a laissez faire society, by contrast, creates a social context in which compassion and generosity flourish.”
—Nathaniel Branden, Psychologist and Author, Taking Responsibility

Tibor Machan is an adjunct scholar of the Cato Institute.