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<p>Notes on Contributors ix</p> <p>Introduction: Social and Political Philosophy – Sorting Out the Issues 1<br /> Robert L. Simon</p> <p><b>Part I Core Principles and the Liberal Democratic State</b></p> <p>1 Political Obligation and Authority 17<br /> A. John Simmons</p> <p>2 Liberty, Coercion, and the Limits of the State 38<br /> Alan Wertheimer</p> <p>3 Justice 60<br /> Christopher Heath Wellman</p> <p>4 Equality 85<br /> Richard J. Arneson</p> <p>5 Preference, Rationality, and Democratic Theory 106<br /> Ann E. Cudd</p> <p><b>Part II Liberalism, Its Critics, and Alternative Approaches</b></p> <p>6 Marx’s Legacy 131<br /> Richard W. Miller</p> <p>7 Feminism and Political Theory 154<br /> Virginia Held</p> <p>8 Liberalism and the Challenge of Communitarianism 177<br /> James P. Sterba</p> <p>9 Liberal Theories and their Critics 197<br /> William Nelson</p> <p><b>Part III Pluralism, Diversity, and Deliberation</b></p> <p>10 Deliberative Democracy 221<br /> James S. Fishkin</p> <p>11 Citizenship and Pluralism 239<br /> Daniel M. Weinstock</p> <p>12 The New Enlightenment: Critical Reflections on the Political Significance of Race 271<br /> A. Todd Franklin</p> <p>13 Religion and Liberal Democracy 292<br /> Christopher J. Eberle</p> <p>Select Bibliography 319</p> <p>Index 321</p>

"Robert Simon has assembled a strong, well-organized collection. The volume's contributors are distinguished and the essays have been chosen to convey a balanced picture of the field." <i>George Sher, Rice University</i> <br /> <p>"This superbly edited volume addresses central questions surrounding the liberal democratic theory of the state. Both the advocates of contemporary expressions of liberal democratic theory and critics of those formulations receive a fair hearing. Excellent discussions of the values of liberty, justice, equality, individual rights, and democratic choice are included as well as timely discussions of pluralism and the treatment of groups in democratic theory." <i>Norman E. Bowie, University of Minnesota</i></p>

<b><br /> </b> <p><b>Robert L. Simon</b> is Professor of Philosophy at Hamilton College. He is author of numerous articles in social and political philosophy as well as <i>Fair</i> <i>Play</i> (1991) and <i>Neutrality and the Academic Ethic</i> (1994), and co-author of <i>The Individual and the Political Order</i>, (third edition, 1998). He is currently working on issues in discourse ethics and on the ethics of competition in athletics, and is a past president of the International Association of the Philosophy of Sport.</p>

<i><br /> </i> <p><i>The Blackwell Guide to Social and Political Philosophy</i> brings together a collection of newly commissioned essays which examine fundamental issues in social and political theory. Written by leading social and political philosophers, each essay provides a history of the issue at hand and a judicious assessment of the main arguments that have been brought to bear upon that issue.<br /> </p> <p>The collection deals with traditional topics in social and political philosophy, such as liberty, authority, justice, and equality as well as with issues raised by diversity and pluralism within the democratic state. The contributors offer a sustained dialogue on the merits of liberal political theory and on the views of some of its critics. Each essay begins with an accessible introduction but develops into a philosophically acute evaluation of the issue in question.<br /> </p> <p>The compilation is ideal as a self-standing text for an introductory or intermediate course in social and political philosophy.</p>

"Robert Simon has assembled a strong, well-organized collection. The volume's contributors are distinguished and the essays have been chosen to convey a balanced picture of the field." <i>George Sher, Rice University</i> <br /> <p>"This superbly edited volume addresses central questions surrounding the liberal democratic theory of the state. Both the advocates of contemporary expressions of liberal democratic theory and critics of those formulations receive a fair hearing. Excellent discussions of the values of liberty, justice, equality, individual rights, and democratic choice are included as well as timely discussions of pluralism and the treatment of groups in democratic theory." <i>Norman E. Bowie, University of Minnesota</i></p>

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