Imperfection and Impartiality

This text argues, from a liberal perspective, for a radical re-interpretation of existing ideas concerning social justice. Since the 1980s there has been debate between liberals and their critics, concerning the use of impartiality as a notion on which to base social theories of justice. In introducing an impartial standard of the right, the implications are often sexist, anthropocentric, capitalistic and oppressive. Wissenberg argues that this does not mean we should abandon the ideal of impartiality and defends the thesis that impartiality and the liberal project can be saved. The book explores a liberal theory of justice that takes the core notion of impartiality seriously; that takes account of moral pluralism without trying to downgrade it or reduce it to the rank of a secondary problem; that argues for principles of justice respecting individual notions of the good life rather than reformulating them in terms of one universal measure of the good or the right; that cherishes plurality, diversity and tolerance instead of uniformity and moral indifference.