On Compromise and Rotten Compromises
Avishai Margalit

Cloth | 2009 | $26.95 / £18.95
232 pp. | 5 1/2 x 8 1/2

e-Book | 2009 | $26.95 | ISBN: 978-1-4008-3121-0

Shopping Cart | Endorsements | Table of Contents
Introduction [PDF]

When is political compromise acceptable--and when is it fundamentally rotten, something we should never accept, come what may? What if a rotten compromise is politically necessary? Compromise is a great political virtue, especially for the sake of peace. But, as Avishai Margalit argues, there are moral limits to acceptable compromise even for peace. But just what are those limits? At what point does peace secured with compromise become unjust? Focusing attention on vitally important questions that have received surprisingly little attention, Margalit argues that we should be concerned not only with what makes a just war, but also with what kind of compromise allows for a just peace.

Examining a wide range of examples, including the Munich Agreement, the Yalta Conference, and Arab-Israeli peace negotiations, Margalit provides a searching examination of the nature of political compromise in its various forms. Combining philosophy, politics, and history, and written in a vivid and accessible style, On Compromise and Rotten Compromises is full of surprising new insights about war, peace, justice, and sectarianism.

Avishai Margalit's most recent book (with Ian Buruma) is Occidentalism: The West in the Eyes of Its Enemies (Penguin). His other books include The Ethics of Memory and The Decent Society. A professor emeritus of philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Margalit is the George F. Kennan Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

Endorsements:

"Avishai Margalit has turned a fierce spotlight on a neglected but important area of ethics, when compromises are morally acceptable. He introduces new and compelling distinctions and illuminates a number of major issues in contemporary and recent historical events."--Kenneth J. Arrow, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics

"This book will stimulate wide discussion because compromise--when to make them, when to resist them--is a vital subject in political life, and because Avishai Margalit is universally respected for his analytical skills and moral discernment. The examples give the book historical depth and importance, and the writing is sprightly, precise, and accessible, with memorable turns of phrase. The book reeled me in and held my attention for the duration."--Michael Ignatieff, author of The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror

"This book is tremendously important for its introduction and treatment of a fundamental but neglected topic in political philosophy. It also stands out for its writing, with examples and anecdotes introducing rigorous and detailed argumentation without in any way interrupting the narrative flow."--Arthur Ripstein, University of Toronto

Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Why Compromise? 1
Chapter 1: Two Pictures of Political Compromise 19
Chapter 2: Varieties of Compromise 39
Chapter 3: Compromising for Peace 69
Chapter 4: Compromise and Political Necessity 89
Chapter 5: The Morality of Rotten Compromises 121
Chapter 6: Sectarianism and Compromise 147
Conclusion: Between Evil and Radical Evil 175
Notes 199
Index 211

Subject Areas:

• Political Philosophy
• Political Science and International Relations
• Philosophy

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For customers in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Asia, and Australia
Cloth: $26.95 ISBN13: 978-0-691-13317-1

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File created: 11/4/2009

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