The virtue of mercy is widely admired, but is now marginalized in contemporary public life. Yet for centuries it held a secure place in western public discourse without implying a necessary contradiction with justice. Alex Tuckness and John M. Parrish ask how and why this changed. Examining Christian and non-Christian ancient traditions, along with Kantian and utilitarian strains of thought, they offer a persuasive account of how our perception of mercy has been transformed by Enlightenment conceptions of impartiality and equality that place justice and mercy in tension. Understanding the logic of this decline, they argue, will make it possible to promote and defend a more robust role for mercy in public life. Their study ranges from Homer to the late Enlightenment and from ancient tragedies to medieval theologies to contemporary philosophical texts, and will be valuable to readers in political philosophy, political theory, and the philosophy of law.

'This is a well done, well written, and very useful book. It will quickly become a standard reference for scholars seeking to understand the history of thought about mercy in the west and elsewhere as well as the current 'decline of mercy in public life'. The authors provide a useful and persuasive account of the transformation of thinking about mercy and the growth of a belief in the opposition of mercy and justice.'

Austin D. Sarat - Amherst College, Massachusetts

'Tuckness and Parrish summon considerable learning to describe the changing status and, indeed, definitions of mercy in philosophic and theological thought … Highly recommended.'

W. Morrisey Source: Choice