Reason and Obligation: A Contemporary Approach to Law and Political Morality

This book critically surveys the leading current approaches to legal and political obligation and examines the most basic moral and metaethical questions underlying those approaches. Contents: Gratitude and Political Obligation; The Logic of Contemporary Consent Theories; "Fair Play" Theories of Obligation; John Finnis on Obligation and the Natural Law; Does Moral Objectivism Matter? Some Preliminary Responses; Polyphony, Dissonance, and Moral Objectivity; Can Debate Over Justice Be Progressive? Conclusion: What Would a Sound Theory of Obligation Look Like?