Freedom vs. Intervention: Six Tough Cases

In Freedom vs. Intervention, Daniel E. Lee addresses questions around such controversial issues as abortion, legalization of physician-assisted suicide and recreational use of marijuana, and the right to refuse medical treatment, taking an innovative approach by applying traditional just war criteria to questions of intervention. Noting that intervening in the lives of other people is always a costly option, he argues that it should be done only if there are compelling reasons for doing so, only if it is the last resort after other options have been exhausted, and only if there is reason to believe that intervening will make the situation better, rather than worse. And in all cases, he suggests, this ethic of reluctant intervention should be accompanied by compassion and understanding. The accessible tone and topical focus of this volume make it a compelling text supplement for undergraduate and continuing education courses in ethics and contemporary moral problems.