Overview

Philosophizing the indefensible asks what distinctive contributions political philosophers might make when reflecting on blatant moral failures in public policy - the kinds of failures that philosophers usually dismiss as theoretically un-interesting, even if practically important. This book argues that political philosophers can and should craft “strategic” arguments for public policy reforms, showing how morally urgent reforms can be grounded, for the sake of discussion, even in problematic premises associated with their opponents. The book starts by developing the general contours of this approach - defending its general moral value in a democratic society, and examining how far one might go in strategically deploying dubious or even repugnant premises in debating public affairs. The book then applies strategic theorizing to a set of diverse policy issues. These range from the abortion debate and financial regulation in the United States, through controversies surrounding the participation of Arab parties in Israel's political process, to global issues, such as commercial ties with oil-rich dictatorships, and the bearing of such ties on global climate change.

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9780198872160

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Reviews

"In recent years, Shmuel Nili has emerged as one of the prolific and distinctive political philosophers of his generation. Philosophizing the Indefensible will add to this reputation. Nili insists that in today's world we cannot ignore indefensible policies and arguments. He lays out an original account of strategic theorizing designed to engage people widely seen as beyond the pale, illustrated with a host of examples, revolving around religious fanaticism, corporate crime, and environmental degradation. This lucid book bridges the chasm between the safe academic world of ""reasonable disagreement"" and the reality in which fanatics and others invent their own facts and arguments with impunity. A must-read. * Ian Shapiro, Sterling Professor of Political Science, Yale University * A lot of political philosophy is disconnected from the real world. This book is an excellent attempt to change all this. Nili, who for several years now has been developing a unique and influential voice roughly at the intersection of real-world concerns and more standardly abstract political philosophy, thinks that political philosophers can play a role in defeating - in the real world - indefensible views and policies and the unreasonable people supporting them. Not all of us can be as ingenuous in employing strategic political theory as Nili is, but I'm now convinced that it's worth a try: Perhaps this is how political philosophers can take an appropriate part in the most important political struggles of the day. * David Enoch, Professor of Law and Philosophy, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and University of Oxford *"

In recent years, Shmuel Nili has emerged as one of the prolific and distinctive political philosophers of his generation. Philosophizing the Indefensible will add to this reputation. Nili insists that in today's world we cannot ignore indefensible policies and arguments. He lays out an original account of strategic theorizing designed to engage people widely seen as beyond the pale, illustrated with a host of examples, revolving around religious fanaticism, corporate crime, and environmental degradation. This lucid book bridges the chasm between the safe academic world of ""reasonable disagreement"" and the reality in which fanatics and others invent their own facts and arguments with impunity. A must-read. * Ian Shapiro, Sterling Professor of Political Science, Yale University * A lot of political philosophy is disconnected from the real world. This book is an excellent attempt to change all this. Nili, who for several years now has been developing a unique and influential voice roughly at the intersection of real-world concerns and more standardly abstract political philosophy, thinks that political philosophers can play a role in defeating - in the real world - indefensible views and policies and the unreasonable people supporting them. Not all of us can be as ingenuous in employing strategic political theory as Nili is, but I'm now convinced that it's worth a try: Perhaps this is how political philosophers can take an appropriate part in the most important political struggles of the day. * David Enoch, Professor of Law and Philosophy, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and University of Oxford * Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. * Choice *

"In recent years, Shmuel Nili has emerged as one of the prolific and distinctive political philosophers of his generation. Philosophizing the Indefensible will add to this reputation. Nili insists that in today's world we cannot ignore indefensible policies and arguments. He lays out an original account of strategic theorizing designed to engage people widely seen as beyond the pale, illustrated with a host of examples, revolving around religious fanaticism, corporate crime, and environmental degradation. This lucid book bridges the chasm between the safe academic world of ""reasonable disagreement"" and the reality in which fanatics and others invent their own facts and arguments with impunity. A must-read. * Ian Shapiro, Sterling Professor of Political Science, Yale University * A lot of political philosophy is disconnected from the real world. This book is an excellent attempt to change all this. Nili, who for several years now has been developing a unique and influential voice roughly at the intersection of real-world concerns and more standardly abstract political philosophy, thinks that political philosophers can play a role in defeating - in the real world - indefensible views and policies and the unreasonable people supporting them. Not all of us can be as ingenuous in employing strategic political theory as Nili is, but I'm now convinced that it's worth a try: Perhaps this is how political philosophers can take an appropriate part in the most important political struggles of the day. * David Enoch, Professor of Law and Philosophy, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and University of Oxford * Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. * Choice *"

Author Information

Shmuel Nili's work focuses on links between domestic and global injustice, particularly as these relate to corporate agency, corruption, and abuse of power. He has published widely on these themes in multiple leading journals, including articles in Ethics (2019 and 2020), Journal of Political Philosophy, the American Political Science Review, the American Journal of Political Science, and the Journal of Politics. The same themes also dominate Nili's first two books, The People's Duty (Cambridge University Press, 2019), and Integrity, Personal and Political (Oxford University Press, 2020).

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