Justice As Impartiality [Paperback]

Almost every country today contains adherents of different religions and different secular conceptions of the good life. Is there any alternative to a power struggle among them, leading most probably to either civil war or repression? The argument of this book is that justice as impartiality offers a solution. According to the theory of justice as impartiality, principles of justice are those principles that provide a reasonable basis for the unforced assent of those subject to them. The object of this book is to set the theory out, explain its rationale, and respond to a variety of criticism that have been made of it. As the second volume of his work-in-progress,A Treatise on Social Justice, this work lies at the heart of a thriving academic debate which the author has played a key role in shaping.

Anglo-American political philosophy at its best. Barry's analytical rigour is a precious lesson in how to think and write on philosophical themes....Barry is perhaps the most original contributor to the debate on social justice since Rawls, andJustice as Impartialitywill be at the centre of discussion for many years to come. --Political Studies

...thoughtfully integrates theorists who argue that impartiality must be universal with those who suggest that impartiality is not a desirable goal. --Choice

Barry is an acute thinker with a real talent for getting at the heart of a philosophical position. He is also a vigorous writer, delightfully uninhibited in his criticisms of others... --American Political Science Review

This is a rich and complex work. It engages central issues in political philosophy and adds significantly to our understanding of these fundamental problems...[R]eaders ofJustice as Impartialitywill eagerly await further volumes of this treatise. --Ethics

Brian Barryis Professor of Political Science at the London School of lÕ