Order Ethics or Moral Surplus

Order Ethics or Moral Surplus: What Holds a Society Together? is a well-written, refreshing and well-argued proposal of order ethics as a comprehensive ethical theory that represents an alternative to moral surplus theories. The critical edge of the book is full of provocative ideas that make the moral idealist think twice about his or her foundational beliefs and presuppositions. Indeed, the book is a much needed, lucid and wonderful presentation of the philosophy of order ethics to international readers. -- Jacob Dahl Rendtorff, Roskilde University
This book takes up an extremely important challenge: to find a common ethical ground that holds society together in a globalizing and pluralistic world. With its approach of “order ethics,” it offers a vigorous, consistent and thought provoking solution based on the enlightened self-interested attitudes and behaviors of the social actors. It critically discusses the proposals of world-famous Anglo-Saxon and German philosophers (leaving aside Asian and other voices). There is no doubt that the author, renowned for his edited masterwork Handbook of the Philosophical Foundations of Business Ethics, will stir up debates that will help to clarify and move forward the important challenge of finding a common ethical ground. This book is a must-read for all scholars and citizens concerned about the disintegration of societies in our time. -- Georges Enderle, University of Notre Dame
As a thoughtful observer of events on the world stage, Christoph Lütge poses a provocative question: "What holds a society together?" In a meticulously reasoned response exploring the essence of social cohesion amid the centripetal force of globalization, Lütge asserts that mere compliance with social rules and norms is insufficient for a sustainable global social order. Rather, he argues that qualities and competencies of character often regarded as supererogatory create the "moral surplus" required for a coherent society. Lütge's tautly structured, accessible prose draws from Höffe, Rawls, Hösle, Foot, Habermas, Gauthier, Locke, Nozick, Rorty, Buchanan, and Binmore to construct an original argument for moral surplus. Order Ethics or Moral Surplus: What Holds a Society Together? is an illumining hermeneutical lens for viewing the complex dynamics of globalization.  -- Lindsay J. Thompson, Johns Hopkins University