Moral Principles and Political Obligations by A John Simmons

Moral Principles and Political Obligations by A John Simmons

Outlining the major competing theories in the history of political and moral philosophy--from Locke and Hume through Hart, Rawls, and Nozick--John Simmons attempts to understand and solve the ancient problem of political obligation. Under what conditions and for what reasons (if any), he asks, are we morally bound to obey the law and support the political institutions of our countries?

"This devastating book asks why citizens should feel obligated to participate in the political order and be responsive to its demandsSimmons lines up theorists like targets and bops one after another. 'Fair Play', 'Tacit Consent', 'Natural Duty of Justice' are all in trouble, whether offered by Rawls or Nozick or anyone else. That does not mean that Virginia Professor Simmons opts for the jungle; he simply has left few grounds for political obligations and suggests that somehow people will have to salvage some moral obligations instead. An astute work of demythologization and demolition."--The Christian Century "(A) major contribution to political philosophy... Everyone who is interested in political theory will gain much from this study."--Library Journal

A. JOHN SIMMONS is Commonwealth Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Law at the University of Virginia. He has been an editor of the journal Philosophy & Public Affairs since 1982. He is the author of Moral Principles and Political Obligations (1979), The Lockean Theory of Rights (1992), On
the Edge of Anarchy: Locke, Consent, and the Limits of Society (1993), Justification and Legitimacy: Essays on Rights and Obligations (2000), Is There a Duty to Obey the Law? For and Against (with C.H. Wellman) (2005), Political Philosophy (OUP, 2008), and many other publications on topics in moral,
political, and legal philosophy. He has edited the books International Ethics (1985) and Punishment (1995) and has chaired the University of Virginia's Philosophy Department and its Program on Political and Social Thought.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780691020198
ISBN 10	0691020191
Title	Moral Principles and Political Obligations
Author	A John Simmons
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Princeton University Press
Year published	1981-09-21
Number of pages	248
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.