Rights and Goods: Justifying a Social Action.

New York, NY The Free Press, 1984. Hardcover First Ed; First Printing indicated. First Ed; First Printing indicated. Very Good in Very Good+ DJ: Book shows faint waviness along the top edge of the text block due to exposure to moisture, though no dampstaining present; else flawless; binding square and secure; text clean. DJ shows two short, closed tears and some rumpling at heel of backstrip; slight toning at rear face; unclipped; mylar-protected. Overall, close to 'As New'. 8vo. viii, 327pp. Black cloth with gilt spine lettering. Hardcover with dustwrapper. Theories of justice, argues Virginia Held, are usually designed for a perfect, hypothetical world. They do not give us guidelines for living in an imperfect world in which the choices and decisions that we must make are seldom clear-cut. Seeking a morality based on actual experience, Held offers a method of inquiry with which to deal with the specific moral problems encountered in daily life. She argues that the division between public and private morality is misleading and shows convincingly that moral judgment should be contextual. She maps out different approaches and positions for various types of issues, including membership in a state, legal decisions, political activities, economic transactions, interpersonal relations, diplomacy, journalism, and determining our obligation to future generations. Issues such as these provide the true test of moral theory, since its success is seen in the willingness of conscientious persons to commit themselves to it by acting on it in their daily lives. A modern philosophical classic that should be read by all students. Held presents topics clearly and logically.