Freedom power and political morality

/ a cura di Ian Carter e Mario Ricciardi. - Basingstoke : Palgrave ©2001. - 244 p. ; 23 cm.
This collection of new essays on political and legal theory concentrates on themes dealt with in the work of Felix Oppenheim.A first group of question concerns the nature of foundamental concepts like freedom power and interests.What are the differences between empirical freedom and freedom in relations to rules? Can concepts like freedom and power be given purely descriptive definitions? How are'public interest' and the 'national interest'to be defined?A second group of question concerns the place of morality in power politics and international relations. Is the government ever really free to act against the national interest? Can it be morally obliged to do so?more generally what role can moral questions(concerning say human rights or distibutive justice) realistically have in the formulation of domestic and foreign policy? The volumes ends with an essay by Felix Oppenheim in which he replies to some of his critics.

Indice

Notes on the contributors vii
Introduction di Ian Carter e Mario Ricciardi ix
Part I. Normative Analysis and Political Concepts  
1. Fehx Oppenheim's Deontics di Paolo Di Lucia 3
2. From Hobbes to Oppenheim: Conceptual Reconstruction as Political Engagement di Terence Ball 20
3. Essential Contestability and the Claims of Analysis di Mario Ricciardi 39
4. Freedom and Bivalence di Hillel Steiner 57
5. Dimensions of Nomic Freedom di Amedeo G. Conte 69
6. 'Ought' Implies Tractical PossibiIity' di Ian Carter 79
7. Clarifying the Science Wars: the Concept of Scientific Authority di Mark R. Weaver 96
 
Part II. Political Morality and International Relations  
8. On Public Moral Appeals and Identification di lean Bethke Elshtain 121
9. 'Anarchical Fallacies': Bentham's Attack on Human Rights di Hugo Adam Bedau 134
10. Pre-empting Humanitarian Interventions di Thomas Pogge 153
11. Oppenheim's Realism and the Morality of the National Interest di Luigi Bonanate 171
12.Oppenheim and the National Interest di George Kateb 188
Part III. Coda  
13. Oppenheim in Italy: a Memoir di Norberto Bobbio 207
14. Afterthoughts di Felix E. Oppenheim 218
Bibliography of the Publications of Felix E. Oppenheim 234
Index 237