Social Philosophy and Policy: Reassessing Civil Rights

The collection of essays in this volume focuses on the attempt by democratic societies to construct laws that guarantee that the rule of law will apply to everyone. They address fundamental ethical issues that underlie much of the heated public rhetoric on civil rights. Is equality before the law a sufficient goal, or should disadvantaged groups be given special dispensations? How much governmental intervention into private contractual relations is justifiable in order to achieve greater equality? Will such interventions create future inequalities by advantaging the disadvantaged and disadvantaging the advantaged? Are voluntary, free-market dealings inimical to civil rights or are they beneficial? The contributors draw on such diverse fields as law, economics, history, and philosophy to answer these questions.