A Delicate Balance What Philosophy Can Tell Us About Terrorism

by Govier, Trudy

• ISBN13: 9780813342719
• ISBN10: 0813342716
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-08-12
• Publisher: Basic Books

Summary

Did the world change on September 11, 2001? For those who live outside of New York or Washington, life's familiar pace persists and families and jobs resume their routines. Yet everything seems different because of the dramatic disturbance in our sense of what our world means and how we exist within it. InA Delicate Balance, philosopher Trudy Govier writes that it is because our feelings and attitudes have altered so fundamentally that our world has changed. Govier believes that there are ethical challenges we cannot ignore. From Plato and Aristotle on courage to Kant on revenge, to 20th Century philosopher John Rawls's views on justice, Govier mines the world of philosophy to reflect on terrorism. Govier argues that moral complexities such as victimhood, evil, power and revenge, if properly understood, can provide a basis for hope not despair. Govier walks the reader through this shift, challenging us to construct a new sense of the world and our place within it.

Author Biography

Philosopher, author, and lecturer, Trudy Govier is the author of several books and has written many articles on topics ranging from self-deception to nuclear deterrence. She lives and works in Calgary, Alberta.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
1 Vulnerability	1	(10)
2 Victims	11	(10)
3 Evil	21	(10)
4 Hatred	31	(12)
5 Revenge	43	(10)
6 Power	53	(12)
7 Justice	65	(14)
8 Violence	79	(14)
9 Responsibility	93	(10)
10 Kindness	103	(8)
11 Courage	111	(12)
12 Perspective	123	(14)
13 Life	137	(12)
14 Vindication	149	(10)
15 Hope	159	(12)
Index	171