Moral Demands in Nonideal Theory (Oxford Ethics Series)

"Is there a limit to the legitimate demands of morality? In particular, is there a limit to people's responsibility to promote the well-being of others, either directly or via social institutions? Utilitarianism admits no such limit and is for that reason often said to be an unacceptably demanding moral and political view. In this original new study, Liam Murphy argues ingeniously that the charge of excessive demands turns out to be little more than an affirmation of the moral and political status quo."--Jacket.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Philosophy. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.