On Mercy

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Political, Ethics & Moral Philosophy
Cover of the book On Mercy by Malcolm Bull, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Malcolm Bull ISBN: 9780691185736
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: May 14, 2019
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Malcolm Bull
ISBN: 9780691185736
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: May 14, 2019
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

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 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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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 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.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book Methods for Applied Macroeconomic Research by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book The Culture of Contentment by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book Topics in Quaternion Linear Algebra by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book Analysis of Heat Equations on Domains. (LMS-31) by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book The Fourth Pig by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book Conus of the Southeastern United States and Caribbean by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book Convolution and Equidistribution by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book Selling Women Short by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book Making War and Building Peace by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book Women in Western Political Thought by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book Thinking about Leadership by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book Monetary Policy, Inflation, and the Business Cycle by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book Time and Power by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book Philosophic Pride by Malcolm Bull
Cover of the book Syrian Episodes by Malcolm Bull
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy