Public policy debates often turn on how to get things done once we know our policy objectives. But how do we make appropriate progress when people disagree about what those objectives might be? In this volume, a team of world-renowned scholars introduce and explore the power of philosophy as a tool for understanding public policy controversies. Each chapter uses the tools and concepts of philosophy to frame an assessment of what is at stake in an enduring and recent policy debate. Organised thematically, the volume addresses issues such as disability policies, parenting, immigration, political apologies, criminal punishment, data gathering, and more. Drawing on the resources of ethical theory, social philosophy, and political theory in a highly accessible way, the book is ideal for students and scholars in both philosophy and public policy.

Andrew I. Cohen is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Jean Beer Blumenfeld Center for Ethics at Georgia State University. He is the author of Philosophy, Ethics, and Public Policy (2015), and co-editor, with Christopher Heath Wellman, of Contemporary Debates in Applied Ethics (2005, 2014).

Introduction,Andrew Cohen /Part I: Rule of Law: Applications and Exemptions / 1: Moral Reasoning and the Death Penalty,Claire Finkelstein / 2. Philosophy, Prostitution and Policy,Robert Fullinwider/ 3. Bulk Collection, Intrusion and Domination,Tom Sorrell / 4. A Public Reason Approach to Religious Exemption,Chad van Schoelandt /Part II: Topics on Public Policies and Public Goods / 5. Acceptable Risk of Extinction in the Context of Endangered Species Policy,Michael Paul Nelson and John A. Vucetich / 6. Regulating Public Education as a Public Good,Jonathan Anomaly / Ethical Issues in Academic/Industrial Collaborations,David Resnik / 8. Pervasive Biomedical Technologies: Implications for Ethics and Policymaking,Roberta Berry /Part III: Public Policies Shaping Public and Private Identities / 9. Immigration in Philosophy and in Policy,Michael Blake / 10. Toward an Ethics of Political Apology,Andrew I. Cohen / 11. Parenting, Philosophy, Public Policy, and a Puzzle,Samantha Brennan / 12. Disability, Identity Justice, and the Politics of Discrimination,Anita Silvers and Leslie Francis / Notes on Contributors / Index