Risk and Morality

Risk and Morality examines how decisions about risk and uncertainty relate to moral principles and ethical conduct. Editors Richard V. Ericson and Aaron Doyle have brought together in this volume an impressive selection of scholars in the disciplines of philosophy, sociology, law, political science, geography, criminology, and accounting from Canada, the United States, England, France, and Australia. Analyzing the broader social, political, economic and cultural dimensions of risk and morality, the papers in this collection present up-to-date, cutting-edge theory and research on risk society. Risk and Morality focuses on the concept of risk, which has become pervasive in recent years in political discourse, popular culture, organizational communications, and everyday practices. Working within their respective fields of research, the contributors not only explain why risk is such a key aspect of Western culture, but also demonstrate that new regimes for risk management are transforming social integration and value-based reasoning. Further, they illustrate that these new regimes do not necessarily foster more responsible conduct or greater accountability in institutions. While the contributors reflect a broad range of academic backgrounds and disciplines, there are strong interdisciplinary connections among the theories they use and the research they present. Thus in commissioning this collection, Ericson and Doyle have provided an important new synthesis.