Conventionalphilosophicalwisdomholdsthatnoagentcaninvokeitsownmoralintegrity--noagentcaninvokefidelitytoitsdeepestethicalcommitments--asanindependentmoralconsideration.Thisisbecausemoralintegritysimplyconsistsindoingwhatis,all-things-considered,therightthing.Integrityarguesthatthisconventionalwisdomismistakenwithregardtoindividualagents,butisespeciallymisguidedwithregardtoliberaldemocraciesascollectiveagents.Evenmorethanindividualpersons,liberaldemocraciesascollectiveagentsoftenfaceintegrityconsiderationsofindependentmoralforce,affectingthemoralstatusofactualpoliticaldecisions.Afterdefendingthisphilosophicalthesis,thisbookillustratesitspracticalvalueinthinkingthroughawiderangeofpracticalpolicyproblems.Theseproblemsrangefrom’dirty’nationalsecuritypolicies,throughthemoralstatusofpoliticalhonourscelebratingpoliticalfiguresofquestionableintegrity,tothe’cleanhands’dilemmasofpoliticaloperativeswhoenablemediademagoguestoscapegoatvulnerableethnicandracialminorities.
