The Principle of Fairness and Political Obligation: : George Klosko: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

The Principle of Fairness and Political Obligation

Description

In The Principle of Fairness and Political Obligation, George Klosko presents the first book-length treatment of political obligation grounded in the premises of liberal political theory. In this now-classic work, he clearly and systematically formulates what others thought impossible-a principle of fairness that specifies a set of conditions which grounds existing political obligations and bridges the gap between the abstract accounts of political principles and the actual beliefs of political actors. Brought up-to-date with a new introduction, this new edition will be of great interest to all interested in political thought.

Chapter 1 New Introduction
Chapter 2 Preface
Chapter 3 Political Obligation
Chapter 4 The Principle of Fairness
Chapter 5 Political Precepts
Chapter 6 Discretionary Public Goods
Chapter 7 Fairness Theory
Chapter 8 Fairness, Utilitarianism, and Consent
Chapter 9 Appendix I: Parfit's Moral Arithmetic and the Obligation to Obey the Law
Chapter 10 Appendix II: The Principle of Fairness and Political Attitudes
Chapter 11 Bibliography
Chapter 12 Index

Product details

Published	Dec 10 2003
Format	Hardback
Edition	1st
Extent	240
ISBN	9780742533745
Imprint	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Dimensions	236 x 158 mm
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

The argument developed in Klosko's book is worth wrestling with, for there is much to think about in this work and very little to distract.

Greg Hill, The Review of Politics
In grappling with Klosko's arguments one learns much about the theory of fairness itself, and the book is a model of lucid and fair-minded exposition. It provides a nice counterpoint to the skeptical position popular among some liberal theorists.

Leslie Green, Ethics: An International Journal of Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy
Anyone interested in the problem of political obligation will be stimulated by this book, which provides a good sustained argument for a plausible account of political obligation that is worthy of careful consideration.

Donald Becker, American Political Science Review
Klosko's clear and well-written book is the most comprehensive attempt yet to argue for the existence of political obligations from the Principle of Fairness.

Jonathan Wolff, Mind: A Quarterly Review of Philosophy
George Klosko has performed an invaluable service by, for the first time, setting out the fairness theory of political obligation with thoroughness and some detail. He has ensured that hereafter the fairness theory will need to be subjected to proper critical discussion in any serious treatment of political obligation and his statement of the theory is by some way the best available.

John Horton, Political Studies Review
Klosko's analysis is based on a commonsense idea of fairness, rather than on policy consequences and outcomes. It recognizes the fuzzy-even tragic-nature of political reality. In a less than perfect world, we must be (and generally are) satisfied with 'good enough.' Klosko's great achievement is to show with rigor what we implicitly mean by 'good enough' when determining whether individuals are even obligated to political communities in a world of uncertainty and unclarity. This compact and readable work should be of interest to more than professional political philosophers. Highly recommended.

Choice Reviews