A Matter of Principle

This is a book about fundamental theoretical issues of political philosophy and jurisprudence; about what liberalism is and why we still need it; whether we should be sceptical about law and morality; how collective prosperity should be defined; what interpretation is and how far law is a matter of interpretation rather than invention. It is also a practical book about urgent political issues. Is it fair to give blacks priority for jobs and university placed? Can it even be right to break the law? Is it uncivilised to ban dirty films or unfair to censor books to protect national security? What rights to suspects have when crime rates are rising? Does social justice mean economic equality? Should judges make political decisions?

It is, above all, a book about the interplay between two levels of political consciousness; between practical problems and philosophical theory, matters of urgency and matters of principle. In his familiar forceful and incisive style Dworkin exposes the critical issues as he guides the reader through a re-examination of the public and private attitudes toward these perennial moral, philosophical, and legal dilemmas.