Rationality, Justice and the Social Contract: Themes from Morals by Agreement

by David Gauthier (Editor), Robert Sugden (Editor)

In one important tradition of political and ethical thought, principles of justice are viewed as if they arose from a contract among individuals, drawn up in some presocial 'state of nature'. David Gauthier's Morals by Agreement is a distinguished contribution to this tradition, which seeks to show that rational individuals would accept certain moral constraints on their choices. In this volume, a group of philosophers, economists and political theorists discuss Gauthier's work and explore the possibilities and limitations of the contractarian approach to issues of justice.

216 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 1993