Synopses & Reviews
This up-to-date text treats political philosophy and issues (including the terrorist attacks of September 11) from a global perspective, considering the virtues of both nationalism and cosmopolitanism. As part of his aim of describing a comprehensive global political philosophy, Pojman devotes considerable attention to a defense of ethical objectivism over its ubiquitous rival, ethical relativism.
About the Author
Dr. Louis Pojman is Professor of Philosophy at the United States Military Academy. He has a Ph.D. in Religion and Ethics from Union Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Oxford University. He has been a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Copenhagen and a Rockefeller Fellow at the University of Hamburg. He has taught at Oxford University, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Texas and the University of Mississippi before coming to West Point last year. He has won several Outstanding Teaching Awards and has been the President of the Society for Philosophy of Religion and an Associate Editor for The Encyclopedia of Philosophy. He is the author of more than 25 books and more than 80 articles.
Table of Contents
PrefaceA Word to the StudentIntroductionOn Political PhilosophyThe Relationship of Ethics to Political PhilosophyEthical Relativism and ObjectivismSubjective Ethical Relativism (Subjectivism)Conventional Ethical Relativism (Conventionalism)Moderate ObjectivismTwo Types of Ethical TheoriesConclusionFor Further ReflectionI. Justification of Government: Why Should I Obey the State?Introduction: Political AuthorityWhy Not Anarchism?Responses to AnarchismA Thought Experiment: A Bottom-up Project of Justifying GovernmentConclusionFor Further ReflectionII. Liberty, the Limits of the State, and State PaternalismMill's Theory of LibertyIs Liberty an Intrinsic Good?No Man is an IslandNegative and Positive LibertyPaternalismShould the State Limit Free Speech?Liberty and the Tragedy of the CommonsConclusionFor Further ReflectionIII. Equality: Its Nature and ValueIntroduction: The Meaning of EqualityFormal EqualitySubstantive EqualityThe Doctrine of Equal Human Worth and Metaphysical EqualityLegal EqualityConclusionFor Further ReflectionIV. Equal OpportunityIntroductionThe Concept of 'Equal Opportunity'Types of Equal OpportunityArbitrary Equal OpportunityMeritocratic Equal OpportunityProcedural Equal OpportunityResult-oriented Equal OpportunityArguments for Equal OpportunityObjections to Equal OpportunityNozick's Life is not a Race ObjectionSchaar's Communitarian ObjectionFishkin's TrilemmaConclusionFor Further ReflectionV. What is Justice?IntroductionJustice as DesertDesert and MeritLocke and Nozick's Libertarian Concept of JusticeRawl's Theory of JusticeConclusionFor Further ReflectionVI. State Neutrality versus State Perfectionism: Should the State Make People Moral?Introduction: Legal versus Moral PerfectionismArguments against Perfectionism and Perfectionist RepliesConclusionFor Further ReflectionVII. RightsThe Nature and Value of RightsA Critical AnalysisA Commentary of The United Nations Universal Declaration on Human RightsConclusionFor Further ReflectionVIII. PunishmentIntroductionDefinitionsTheories of PunishmentRetributivismUtilitarianismRehabilitationismConclusionFor Further ReflectionIX. Nationalism, Cosmopolitanism, and World GovernmentIntroduction: An Overview of Global AnarchyThe Cosmopolitan SpiritThe Promise of NationalismAn Assessment of the Debate between Nationalism and CosmopolitanismInterventionism: Should the World Community Intervene in the Affairs of National Disputes?Immigration: Should There be Open Borders?ConclusionFor Further ReflectionX. International Terrorism and the Moral ResponseIntroduction: The Day of IgnominyHama Rules: Background Rules of TerrorismClash of CulturesA Definition of TerrorismCauses of TerrorismA War on TerrorismTerrorism and Just War TheoryThe Moral Response to TerrorismNational ConscriptionSpreading the Message of a Universal MoralityThe Cosmopolitan Moral Imperative: The Possibility of World GovernmentConclusionFor Further ReflectionBibliographiesIndex