Papers on "Michael Ignatieff's "The Lesser Evil"" and similar term paper topics

Paper #063420 :: Michael Ignatieff's "The Lesser Evil"
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This paper reviews Michael Ignatieff's "The Lesser Evil", which investigates the fundamental disparity between the principles of human rights and democracy and the practical necessities of living with terrorism.

Written in 2005; 2,080 words; 1 source; MLA; $ 65.95

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in "The Lesser Evil", Michael Ignatieff asserts that, occasionally, circumstances arrive in which a nation is forced to choose between two undesirable options, which may require us to take actions in defense of democracy that will stray from democracy's own foundational commitments to dignity. The author points out that Ignatieff offers a comprehensive argument detailing the ethics, justifications, successes, failures and recommendations for instances in which the ideals of democracy must be partially surrendered in order to save them. The paper summarizes that the primary theme of the book is finding a middle road to these two opposing viewpoints, which impel a nation to either die by their morals or to trash them in self-preservation.

From the Paper:

"Next, Ignatieff synthesizes these two standpoints to analyze the risks of "nihilism," as he terms it. Generally, this is the prospect that the victorious party must defend against: the institution of a form of rule whose purpose is merely self-continuation. This can happen if the liberal democracy prevails: "Thus democratic values, instead of preventing the lesser from shading into the greater evil, may actually blind democratic agents to the moral reality of their actions." (Ignatieff, 119). Additionally, it can occur if the terrorists prevail: thus, creating a cycle of terrorist and counterterrorist violence with no apparent end. These comprise the elemental outcomes to be guarded against in the war on terror."

Tags: nihilism circumstances dignity justifications middle-road

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