Contemporary Debates in Political Philosophy

This collection of 24 essays, written by eminent philosophers and political theorists, brings together fresh debates on some of the most fundamental questions in contemporary political philosophy, including human rights, equality, constitutionalism, the value of democracy, identity and political neutrality. Contemporary Debates in Political Philosophy offers the unique opportunity to observe leading philosophers engaging in head–to–head debate and invites the reader to participate in the exchange of arguments, paving the way for further discussion. The original and lively essays are accessible enough to serve as an introduction to the major topics in political philosophy, whilst also making this book a great source of current scholarship.

Acknowledgements. Introduction Thomas Christiano and John Christman. Questions of Method . 1. Facts and Principles G.A. Cohen. 2. Constructivism, Facts, and Moral Justification Samuel Freeman. 3. Reason and the Ethos of a Late–Modern Citizen Stephen White. Liberalism. Political Neutrality . 4. The Moral Foundations of Liberal Neutrality Gerald F. Gaus. 5. Perfectionism in Politics: A Defense Steven Wall. Liberty and Distributive Justice. 6. Individualism and Libertarian Rights Eric Mack. 7. Left–Libertarianism and Liberty Peter Vallentyne. Equality. 8. Illuminating Egalitarianism Larry S. Temkin. 9. A Reasonable Alternative to Egalitariansim John Kekes. Democracy and Its Limits. The Value of Democracy . 10. The Supposed Right to a Democratic Say Richard Arneson. 11. Democracy: Instrumental vs. Non–Instrumental Value Elizabeth Anderson. Deliberative Democracy . 12. Deliberative Democracy Russell Hardin. 13. Reflections on Deliberative Democracy Constitutionalism Joshua Cohen. 14. Constitutionalism—A Skeptical View Jeremy Waldron. 15. Constitutionalism Larry Alexander. Persons, Identity and Difference. Individualism and Community . 16. Individualism and the Claims of Community Richard Dagger. 17. Liberalism, Communitarianism, and the Politics of Identity Margaret Moore. Identity and the Politics of Difference. 18. Relational Liberalism and Demands for Equality, Recognition and Group Rights Anthony S. Laden. 19. Structural Injustice and the Politics of Difference Iris Marion Young. Global Justice. Cosmopolitanism . 20. Cosmopolitanism and Justice Simon Caney. 21. Distributive Justice at Home and Abroad Jon Mandle. Human Rights . 22. The Dark Side of Human Rights Onora O’Neill. 23. A Defense of Welfare Rights as Human Rights James W. Nickel. .

Thomas Christiano is Professor of Philosophy and Law at the University of Arizona. He is also the co–director of the Rogers Program in Law and Society in the College of Law. He has been a fellow at the National Humanities Center, a visiting fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and a visiting fellow in the Research School of the Social Sciences at the Australian National University. He has published widely in the areas of moral and political philosophy and is the author of The Constitution of Equality: Democratic Authority and Its Limits (2008) and The Rule of the Many: Fundamental Issues in Democratic Theory (1996). He is currently finishing a book on the foundations of equality. John Christman  is Associate Professor of Philosophy, Political Science, and Women’s Studies at Pennsylvania State University, where he specializes in contemporary social and political philosophy. He is the author of The Myth of Property (1994), Social and Political Philosophy: A Contemporary Introduction (2002), and The Politics of Persons: Individual Autonomy and Socio–historical Selves (2009).

For those looking for a selection of some of the best work done today, it is strong collection. ( Metapsychology , October 2009)