Andrew Valls – författare

The racial injustice that continues to plague the United States couldn't be a clearer challenge to the country's idea of itself as a liberal and democratic society, where all citizens have a chance at a decent life. Moreover, it raises deep questions about the adequacy of our political ideas, particularly liberal political theory, to guide us out of the quagmire of inequality. So what does justice demand in response? What must a liberal society do to address the legacies of its past, and how should we aim to reconceive liberalism in order to do so? In this book, Andrew Valls considers two solutions, one posed from the political right and one from the left. From the right is the idea that norms of equal treatment require that race be treated as irrelevant--in other words, that public policy and political institutions be race-blind. From the left is the idea that race-conscious policies are temporary, and are justifiable insofar as they promote diversity. This book takes issue with both of these sets of views, and therefore with the constricted ways in which racial justice is debated in the United States today. Valls argues that liberal theory permits, and in some cases requires, race-conscious policies and institutional arrangements in the pursuit of racial equality. In doing so, he aims to do two things: first, to reorient the terms of racial justice and, secondly, to make liberal theory confront its tendency to ignore race in favor of an underspecified commitment to multiculturalism. He argues that the insistence that race-conscious policies be temporary is harmful to the cause of racial justice, defends black-dominated institutions and communities as a viable alternative to integration, and argues against the tendency to subsume claims for racial justice, particularly as they regard African Americans, under more general arguments for diversity.

The racial injustice that continues to plague the United States couldn't be a clearer challenge to the country's idea of itself as a liberal and democratic society, where all citizens have a chance at a decent life. Moreover, it raises deep questions about the adequacy of our political ideas, particularly liberal political theory, to guide us out of the quagmire of inequality. So what does justice demand in response? What must a liberal society do to address the legacies of its past, and how should we aim to reconceive liberalism in order to do so? In this book, Andrew Valls considers two solutions, one posed from the political right and one from the left. From the right is the idea that norms of equal treatment require that race be treated as irrelevant--in other words, that public policy and political institutions be race-blind. From the left is the idea that race-conscious policies are temporary, and are justifiable insofar as they promote diversity. This book takes issue with both of these sets of views, and therefore with the constricted ways in which racial justice is debated in the United States today. Valls argues that liberal theory permits, and in some cases requires, race-conscious policies and institutional arrangements in the pursuit of racial equality. In doing so, he aims to do two things: first, to reorient the terms of racial justice and, secondly, to make liberal theory confront its tendency to ignore race in favor of an underspecified commitment to multiculturalism. He argues that the insistence that race-conscious policies be temporary is harmful to the cause of racial justice, defends black-dominated institutions and communities as a viable alternative to integration, and argues against the tendency to subsume claims for racial justice, particularly as they regard African Americans, under more general arguments for diversity.

A compact and accessible edition of Hume’s political and moral writings with essays by a distinguished set of contributorsA key figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, David Hume was a major influence on thinkers ranging from Kant and Schopenhauer to Einstein and Popper, and his writings continue to be deeply relevant today. With four essays by leading Hume scholars exploring his complex intellectual legacy, this volume presents an overview of Hume’s moral, political, and social philosophy.               Editors Angela Coventry and Andrew Valls bring together a selection of writings from Hume’s most important works, with contributors placing them in their appropriate context and offering a lively discourse on the relevance of Hume’s thought to contemporary subjects like reason’s dependence on emotion and the importance of social convention in political and economic behavior. Perfect for classroom use, this volume is an invaluable companion for anyone studying an important thinker who advanced the development of moral philosophy, economics, cognitive science, and many other fields of the Western tradition.

Iris Marion Young (1949-2006) was one of the most influential and innovative political theorists of her generation who had a significant impact on a wide range of topics such as democratic theory, feminist theory, and justice. She bridged many longstanding divides among political theorists, engaging in Continental and critical theory, but also insisting on the importance of normative argument: her corpus stands as a testament to the fruitfulness of engaging in both abstract theory and the 'real world' of everyday politics. This volume spans the several decades of her work, illustrating her intellectual development over time through three major areas of innovation: Gender: Maintaining that gender is both conceptually and politically meaningful, Young theorized gender in terms of structures that, in combination, position different people we call "women" in different ways, such that some women have some structures in common, without all women sharing all gendered structures in common. Justice: Young’s early writings on a critical theory of justice evolved in her later and posthumously published works where she developed an account of justice that brought together her theorization of structure with her concern to respond to contemporary claims of injustice. The Politics of Difference: Young rejected universal and abstract theories of justice and maintained that justice instead required attending to the experiences of people marked by difference.This volume will prove useful to scholars and students working in the fields of critical and political theory, feminist theory, international law and public diplomacy.

Is modern philosophy racist? Do such canonical philosophers as Descartes, Hobbes, Leibniz, Spinoza, the British Empiricists, and the German Idealists lend support, if only indirectly, to racist doctrines? Or do their ideas contain the resources to critique or even reject racist theories?An innovative and substantial intervention in critical race theory, Race and Racism in Modern Philosophy brings together an impressive roster of thinkers to trace the question of race in modern philosophical inquiry and explore its influence on contemporary philosophy. From Locke's treatment of the issue of slavery and Descartes's silence on the issue to Hegel's philosophy of religion and Nietzsche's "racial profiling," this book illuminates the complex relationship between race and philosophy.

Is modern philosophy racist? Do such canonical philosophers as Descartes, Hobbes, Leibniz, Spinoza, the British Empiricists, and the German Idealists lend support, if only indirectly, to racist doctrines? Or do their ideas contain the resources to critique or even reject racist theories?An innovative and substantial intervention in critical race theory, Race and Racism in Modern Philosophy brings together an impressive roster of thinkers to trace the question of race in modern philosophical inquiry and explore its influence on contemporary philosophy. From Locke's treatment of the issue of slavery and Descartes's silence on the issue to Hegel's philosophy of religion and Nietzsche's "racial profiling," this book illuminates the complex relationship between race and philosophy.

Ethics in International Affairs brings together an international and interdisciplinary cast of scholars to address the major issues in international ethics. Touching on theoretical debates and examining engaging case studies, this volume looks at issues of morality and international affairs, just war theory, terrorism, political violence, humanitarian intervention, and global distributive justice. Cases include the Persian Gulf War; the use of chemical weapons in Vietnam; terrorism in Northern Ireland and the Middle East; intervention in civil conflicts in Africa; Germany’s recognition of Slovenia and Croatia; the moral duties of multinationals; and the fate of the New International Economic Order. This collection of original essays will be valuable to students and scholars of international ethics and international affairs.

Ethics in International Affairs brings together an international and interdisciplinary cast of scholars to address the major issues in international ethics. Touching on theoretical debates and examining engaging case studies, this volume looks at issues of morality and international affairs, just war theory, terrorism, political violence, humanitarian intervention, and global distributive justice. Cases include the Persian Gulf War; the use of chemical weapons in Vietnam; terrorism in Northern Ireland and the Middle East; intervention in civil conflicts in Africa; Germany’s recognition of Slovenia and Croatia; the moral duties of multinationals; and the fate of the New International Economic Order. This collection of original essays will be valuable to students and scholars of international ethics and international affairs.