The morality of gay rights : an exploration in political philosophy

Does society have a moral obligation to recognize gay rights? This rich text presents a comprehensive exploration of the connection between gay rights and political philosophy. The author discusses the writing of contemporary political and legal philosophers-including Rawls, Walzer, Nussbaum, Sandel, Rorty and Dworkin-to evaluate how their theoretical frameworks fit the specific gay rights controversies, such as same-sex marriage and parenting by lesbians and gay men, that are part of our nation's political and legal debates. With its well-written descriptions of the key texts and its accessible, persuasive arguments, this book belongs on the shelf of every citizen who is serious about gay rights. Andrew Koppelman Ball is very knowledgeable, and he writes beautifully. One of his main strengths is his marvelously clear, scrupulously accurate exposition of recent debates in political philosophy. In The Morality of Gay Rights , Ball presents a comprehensive exploration of the connection between gay rights and political philosophy. He discusses the writing of contemporary political and legal philosophers-including Rawls, Walzer, Nussbaum, Sandel, Rorty and Dworkin-to evaluate how their theoretical frameworks fit the specific gay rights controversies, such as same-sex marriage and parenting by lesbians and gay men, that are part of our nation's political and legal debates. Liberalism, with its focus on individual rights to freedom, autonomy, and equality, is a natural place to begin a discussion of the intersection of political morality and gay rights. The Morality of Gay Rights presents a comprehensive exploration of the connection between gay rights and traditional (non-postmodern) political philosophies. Carlos A. Ball. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [219]-261) And Index.