Public and Private Morality

Howfarcanweapplythesamemoralprinciplestobothpublicandprivatebehaviour.Intheinterestsofeffectivepoliticalaction,arewerighttoacceptactsofdeceit,exploitationorforcewhichwewouldregardasunacceptableinprivaterelationswithindividuals?Whatmeanscanbeproperlyadoptedinthepromotionofgreatpubliccauses?Theproblemof'dirtyhands'inpoliticswasposedmoststrikinglybyMachiavelli.Ithasre-emergedthiscenturyinapressingand,tosomeextent,anewform,inconnectionwiththetwoWorldWarsandmorerecentlytheVietnamWar,wherethepoliticaldecisionsandthedestruction,andrisksofdestruction,havebeenofascaleandcharacternotpreviouslyexperienced.Thecontributors,includingBernardWilliams,ThomasNagel,T.M.Scanlon,andRonaldDworkin,examinethebackgroundtothisprobleminmoralandpoliticaltheory.