One characteristic of modern society is that individuals no longer share a common or unique conception of good and evil. Social cohesion is maintained by a general agreement to live together which requires impartiality towards everyone and which takes precedence over the different conceptions of the good. This is what the authors call the priority of justice. This book highlights this priority and provides a new approach to moral choices in modern societies.
The book focuses on two objectives. Firstly, it examines how and why modern individuals give priority to the right over the good. Opinion polls are the basis of this examination, through the model of a 'fair spectator' giving priority to the reasonable over the rational. Secondly, it analyses what constitutes the principle of justice an individual applies. This book is about resolving conflicts and social justice. It takes account of the plurality of moral values and looks at norms from a fair standpoint, avoiding the famous 'anything goes' and paying attention to what people think.