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By Nature Equal: The Anatomy Of A Western Insight, Patrick Brennan, John Coons

John Coons

The basic premise of this book, by two law professors, is that humans, in spite of their differences, share one essential characteristic: "the capacity of every rational person to advance in moral self-perfection." How this is achieved, the authors argue, is more dependent on the intention to do good for one's fellow human beings than on the actual results of any efforts to do so. By this analysis, a person can become good without necessarily doing good; it is the good intention that is ultimately determinative. To flesh this out, the authors make a grand tour of Western philosophy, theology, …