Judaism, Human Rights, and Human ValuesFollowing on the heels of his critically acclaimed God of Abraham (Oxford, 1996), Lenn E. Goodman here focuses on rights, their grounding in the deserts of beings, and the dignity of persons. In an incisive contemporary dialogue between reason and revelation, Goodman argues for ethical standards and public policies that respect human rights and support the preservation of all beings: animals, plants, econiches, species, habitats, and the monuments of nature and culture. Immersed in the Jewish and philosophical sources, Goodmans argument ranges from the fetus in the womb to the modern nation state, from the problems of pornography and tobacco advertising to the rights of parents and children, individuals and communities, the powerful and powerless--the most ancient and the most immediate problems of human life and moral responsibility. Guided by the probing argumentation that Goodman lays out with distinctive, often poetic clarity, the reader will emerge enlightened and prepared to respond with intelligence and commitment to the sobering moral challenges of the coming century. This is a book for anyone concerned with law, ethics, and the human prospect. |
Contents
The Idea of Deserts | 3 |
Judaism and Human Rights | 49 |
Abortion and the Emergence of Life | 79 |
On Liberty Reconsidered | 98 |
The Rights and Wrongs of Nations | 137 |
Notes | 162 |
181 | |
185 | |
192 | |
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abortion actions Aggadah Al-Ghazālī ancient appeal argue argument Aristotle articulated authority biblical called choice civil claims commands conception consent creation creativity culture David Novak demand deserts Deut dignity discourse divine effect Epicurus ethics ethos existence Exod expression fact fetus God's Goodman grounds harm Human Rights Ibn Tufayl idea of rights ideal identity impact individual institutions intellectual freedom interests Israel Jewish Jewish Philosophy Judaism justice king legitimacy legitimate liberal liberty Maimonides Maimonides's matter means Mekhilta metaphysical midrashic Mill Mill's Mishnah moral nationhood nations naturalistic fallacy nature Neoplatonic norms Novak one's ontic personhood persons philosophers Plato political pornography principle prophetic protect rabbinic reason recognition recognize responsibility rhetoric Saadiah Saadiah Gaon sake Sanhedrin seek sense simply social society Spinoza standard Talmud Theodicy theory things thought Torah tradition trans treat truth University Press warrant worth zekhut