The Conduct of Politics
The Conduct of Politics
Looking for an examination copy?
If you are interested in the title for your course we can consider offering an examination copy. To register your interest please contact collegesales@cambridge.org providing details of the course you are teaching.
Do politicians have to get dirty hands – and what does that mean? Is it okay to be corrupt, when corruption is systemic? When is it a good thing to make compromises in politics? These are questions about political conduct that are raised in political ethics, a somewhat underappreciated subfield of political philosophy. This Element offers a fresh, systematic introduction to political ethics. It starts with a discussion of two challenges to the discipline: One comes from political realists who reject moralism in political philosophy and the other from public choice theorists who model politicians as rational egoists. It then discusses the problem of dirty hands, political corruption, and political compromise as three core topics of political ethics.
Product details
- Published: March 2026
- Format: Adobe eBook Reader
- ISBN: 9781009558921
- Length: 0 pages
- Availability: This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.
Table of Contents
- Introduction: the project of political ethics
- 1. Political realism
- 2. Public choice theory
- 3. Dirty hands
- 4. Political corruption
- 5. Political compromise
- Conclusion
- Bibliography.
- Show more
- Table of contents navigation
- Latest accessibility assessment date: 2026-02-16
