The question, From whence come values in human society? or How should human beings live or act? has been one of the most enduring questions in the human search for knowledge. Stephen D. Hudson has reiterated the importance of this question through a rigorous and contrasting analysis of the different historical perspectives in an attempt to determine the nature of morality. Should morality be based on a priori theoretical moral constructs, an approach that Hudson describes as the "direct view," or (...) should morality be based on the natural human character, the "indirect view"? Hudson sees these two approaches as fundamental options. (shrink)

With a rare combination of academic rigor and simplicity of language, Richard T. De George has produced a stimulating and well-reasoned analysis of a complex and controversial subject--the nature and limits of authority. The central thrust of the text is a pluralistic conception of authority, which enables both the author and the reader to see authority in its multi-faceted forms.