The Order of Evils. Toward an Ontology of Morals

What remains of moral judgment when truth itself is mistrused, when the validity of every belief system depends on its context, when power and knowledge are inextricably entangled? Is a viable moral theory still possible in the wake of the postmodern critiism of modern philosophy? The Oreder of Evils responds directly to these questions and dilemmas with one simple and brilliant change of focus. Rather than concentrating on the age-old themes of justice and freedom, Adi Ophir offers a moral theory that foregrounds the existential and political nature of evil. Ophir´s main contention is that evil neither a diabolical element residing in the hearts of men nor a meaningless absence of the good. Rather, it is the socially structured order of "superfluous evils". Evils, like pain, suffering, loss and humiliation, are superfluous when they could have -but have not- been prevented. Through close analysis of seminal works by modern and postmodern philosophers -from Rousseau, Kant, Marx, Sartre, and Arendt to Foucault, Lévinas, Derrida and Lyotard- Ophir forges a new perspective for thinking about what it means to be a moral being.