Naming Evil, Judging Evil
Naming Evil, Judging Evil
Is it more dangerous to call something evil or not to? This fundamental question deeply divides those who fear that the term oversimplifies grave problems and those who worry that, to effectively address such issues as terrorism and genocide, we must first acknowledge them as evil. Recognizing that the way we approach this dilemma can significantly affect both the harm we suffer and the suffering we inflict, a distinguished group of contributors engages in the debate with this series of timely and original essays.
Drawing on Western conceptions of evil from the Middle Ages to the present, these pieces demonstrate that, while it may not be possible to definitively settle moral questions, we are still able—and in fact are obligated—to make moral arguments and judgments. Using a wide variety of approaches, the authors raise tough questions: Why is so much evil perpetrated in the name of good? Could evil ever be eradicated? How can liberal democratic politics help us strike a balance between the need to pass judgment and the need to remain tolerant? Their insightful answers exemplify how the sometimes rarefied worlds of political theory, philosophy, theology, and history can illuminate pressing contemporary concerns.
232 pages | 6 x 9 | © 2006
Philosophy: General Philosophy
Political Science: Political and Social Theory
Religion: Religion and Society
Table of Contents
Foreword
Alasdair MacIntyre
Preface
Introduction
Part 1: Speaking About Evil
Chapter 1 Where Did All the Evils Go?
Michael Allen Gillespie
Chapter 2 Seeing Darkness, Hearing Silence: Augustine’s Account of Evil
Stanley Hauerwas
Chapter 3 The Rousseauan Revolution and the Problem of Evil
Ruth W. Grant
Chapter 4 Inequality and the Problem of Evil
Nannerl O. Keohane
Part 2: Making Judgments, Passing Judgment, Taking a Stand, Biting Your Tongue
Chapter 5 The Butler Did It
J. Peter Euben
Chapter 6 Evil and the Morality of Conviction
David Wong
Chapter 7 Combining Clarity and Complexity: A Layered Approach to Cross-Cultural Ethics
Elizabeth Kiss
Chapter 8 Liberal Dilemmas and Moral Judgment
Malachi Hacohen
Chapter 9 Between Bigotry and Nihilism: Moral Judgment in Pluralist Democracies
Thomas A. Spragens, Jr.
Bibliography
Index
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