Is mercy more important than justice?Since antiquity, mercy has been regarded as a virtue. The power of monarchs was legitimated by their acts of clemency, their mercy demonstrating their divine nature. Yet by the end of the eighteenth century, mercy had become "an injustice committed against society . . . a manifest vice." Mercy was exiled from political life. How did this happen?In this book, Malcolm Bull analyses and challenges the Enlightenment's rejection of mercy. A society operating on p…
Since antiquity, mercy has been regarded as a virtue. The power of monarchs was legitimated by their acts of clemency, their mercy demonstrating their divine nature. Yet by the end of the eighteenth century, mercy had become "an injustice committed against society . . . a manifest vice." Mercy was exiled from political life. How did this happen?
In this book, Malcolm Bull analyses and challenges the Enlightenment's rejection of mercy. A society operating on principles of rational self-interest had no place for something so arbitrary and contingent, and having been excluded from Hobbes's theory of the state and Hume's theory of justice, mercy disappeared from the lexicon of political theory. But, Bull argues, these idealised conceptions have proved too limiting. Political realism demands recognition of the foundational role of mercy in society. If we are vulnerable to harm from others, we are in need of their mercy. By restoring the primacy of mercy over justice, we may constrain the powerful and release the agency of the powerless. And if arguments for capitalism are arguments against mercy, might the case for mercy challenge the very basis of our thinking about society and the state?
An important contribution to contemporary political philosophy from an inventive thinker, On Mercy makes a persuasive case for returning this neglected virtue to the heart of political thought.
29,89 €
Log inand for this item you will receive0,30 Book Euros!?
Electronic book:
Delivery after ordering is instant! Intended for reading only on a computer, tablet or other electronic device.
Since antiquity, mercy has been regarded as a virtue. The power of monarchs was legitimated by their acts of clemency, their mercy demonstrating their divine nature. Yet by the end of the eighteenth century, mercy had become "an injustice committed against society . . . a manifest vice." Mercy was exiled from political life. How did this happen?
In this book, Malcolm Bull analyses and challenges the Enlightenment's rejection of mercy. A society operating on principles of rational self-interest had no place for something so arbitrary and contingent, and having been excluded from Hobbes's theory of the state and Hume's theory of justice, mercy disappeared from the lexicon of political theory. But, Bull argues, these idealised conceptions have proved too limiting. Political realism demands recognition of the foundational role of mercy in society. If we are vulnerable to harm from others, we are in need of their mercy. By restoring the primacy of mercy over justice, we may constrain the powerful and release the agency of the powerless. And if arguments for capitalism are arguments against mercy, might the case for mercy challenge the very basis of our thinking about society and the state?
An important contribution to contemporary political philosophy from an inventive thinker, On Mercy makes a persuasive case for returning this neglected virtue to the heart of political thought.
Reviews
No reviews
0 customers have rated this item.
5
0%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%
Price guarantee
Bookbook.eu guarantees the best price for items marked with the “Price Guarantee” badge. If an identical item costs less at another online store, we will refund the price difference. Prices are compared with the prices of items at the list of stores specified by bookbook.eu. Bookbook.eu undertakes to refund the price difference to the customer who applies under the conditions specified in the “Price Guarantee” rules. Learn more
E-book
22,39 €
ATTENTION!
This book is provided ACSM format. It is not suitable for standard reading devices that support EPUB or MOBI format e-books.
Important! It is not possible to download e-books when connecting from the United Kingdom.
This is a book being sold by a private person. After you pay for your order, the book seller will send it within 7 days . If the seller does not do this on time, the money will be refunded to you automatically.
The condition of this book has not been assessed by Bookbook.eu experts, so all responsibility for the stated book quality lies with the seller.
Would you also like to sell used books and earn money? Learn more here
Item successfully added to cart
Used book:
A used book sold directly from the Bookbook.eu warehouse. The book's quality has been assessed by Bookbook.eu experts.
Reviews