Public disenchantment with politics has become a key feature of theworld in which we live. Politicians are increasingly viewed withsuspicion and distrust, and electoral turnout in many moderndemocracies continues to fall. But are we right to display suchcontempt towards our elected representatives? Can politicians bemorally good or is politics destined to involve dirty hands or theloss of integrity, as many modern philosophers claim? In this book,Susan Mendus seeks to address these important questions to assesswhether this apparent tension between morality and politics is realand, if so, why.
Beginning with an account of integrity as involving awillingness to stand by ones most fundamental moral commitments,the author discusses three reasons for thinking that politicsundermines integrity and is incompatible with morality. These are:the relationship between politics and utilitarian calculation; thepossibility that the realm of politics is a separate realm ofvalue; and the difficulty of reconciling the demands of differentsocial roles. She concludes that, in the modern world, we all risklosing our integrity. To that extent, we are all politicians.Moreover, we have reason to be glad that politicians are not alwaysmorally good.
Written with verve and clarity, this book provides students andgeneral readers an accessible guide to the philosophical debatesabout the complex relationship between politics and morality in thecontemporary world.