Is the judicial execution of the innocent permissible to deter crime? Some advocates of consequentialism would respond yes, while moral absolutists argue that certain kinds of conduct, including this one, are absolutely prohibited, no matter what the consequences. This is the first collection that does justice to absolutism in its richness and subtleties.

". . . a clear and sharp introduction which defines strong and weak versions of absolutism and distinguishes absolutism from both consequentialism and more moderate deontological views . . . In addition to providing an excellent textbook, specialists will also benefit from having all of these pieces collected together and ready at hand." - Ethics: An International Journal of Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy