Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Among the most controversial issues in the United States is the question of whether public or private agencies should adopt preferential treatment programs or be required to pay reparations for slavery. Using a carefully reasoned philosophical approach, Stephen Kershnar argues that programs such as affirmative action and calls for slavery reparations are unjust for three reasons. First, the state has a duty to direct resources to those persons who, through their abilities, will benefit most from them. Second, he argues that, in the case of slavery, past injustice—where both the victims and perpetrators are long dead—cannot ground current claims to compensation. As terrible as slavery was, those who claim a right to compensation today owe their existence to it, he reasons, and since the events that bring about a person's existence are normally thought to be beneficial, past injustices do not warrant compensation. Finally, even if past injustices were allowed to serve as the basis of compensation in the present, other variables prevent a reasonable estimation of the amount owed.

African Americans --- Affirmative action programs --- Women --- Minorities --- Women's rights --- Reparations to African Americans --- Reparations for historical injustices --- Ethnic minorities --- Foreign population --- Minority groups --- Persons --- Assimilation (Sociology) --- Discrimination --- Ethnic relations --- Majorities --- Plebiscite --- Race relations --- Segregation --- Reparations. --- Government policy --- Civil rights --- Claims

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Veterans are celebrated with speeches, statues, memorials, holidays, and affirmative action. They are lavishly praised in public gatherings and private conversations. Contradicting this widespread attitude, Stephen Kershnar's Gratitude toward Veterans: A Philosophical Explanation of Why American Should Not Be Very Grateful to Veterans argues that U.S. citizens should not be very grateful to veterans. Veterans are celebrated with speeches, statues, memorials, holidays, and affirmative action. They are lavishly praised in public gatherings and private conversations. Contradicting this widespread attitude, Stephen Kershnar's Gratitude toward Veterans: A Philosophical Explanation of Why American Should Not Be Very Grateful to Veterans argues that U.S. citizens should not be very grateful to veterans.

Veterans --- Civil-military relations --- Gratitude. --- Gratefulness --- Thankfulness --- Emotions --- Virtues

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This book argues that there is no morality and that people are not morally responsible for what they do. In particular, it argues that what people do is neither right nor wrong and that they are neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy for doing it. Morality and moral responsibility lie at the heart of how we view the world. In our daily life, we feel that people act rightly or wrongly, make the world better or worse, and are virtuous or vicious. These policies are central to our justifying how we see the world and treat others. In this book, the author argues that our views on these matters are false. He presents a series of arguments that threaten to undermine our theoretical and practical worldviews. The philosophical costs of denying moral responsibility and morality are enormous. It does violence to philosophical positions that many people took a lifetime to develop. Worse, it does violence to our everyday view of people. A host of concepts that we rely on daily (praiseworthy, blameworthy, desert, virtue, right, wrong, good, bad, etc.) fail to refer to any property in the world and are thus deeply mistaken. This book is of interest to philosophers, lawyers, and humanities professors as well as people interested in morality, law, religion, and public policy. .

General ethics --- Religious studies --- Sociology --- sociologie --- ethiek

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Philosophical anthropology --- Theory of knowledge --- General ethics