Dirty Hands: The Problem of Political Morality

by Steve Buckler

Steve Buckler addresses a series of central issues in political morality by reference to the key problem of dirty hands. The fact that in politics one may have to act badly in order to act well marks out a contrast between moral and political judgment which presents a serious challenge to our thinking about political morality. Following a critical analysis of some influential attempts to solve the problem, Steve Buckler argues that the experience of dirty hands must be taken on its own terms as moral burden to be borne by political agents and citizens. The character of this burden and its moral implications are explored by reference to a series of historical and literary examples and it is argued that a basis can thereby be found for asserting the relevance of moral sensitivity in a political realm that will always challenge our best moral expectations.

Hardcover