ABSTRACT
In the ever-expanding, impossible-to-keep-up-with philosophical literature on justice, James P.Sterba’s Justice for Here and Now2 is distinguished by many virtues: the accessibility and clarity of the writing; the self-conscious attempt to be comprehensive in his coverage of contemporary issues; the constant recourse to crucial empirical data; and the provocative “reconciliationist” program. If I am critical of Sterba on certain points, as I will be, this should not be taken to imply that I do not think the book has considerable merit. Indeed, there is an ironic sense in which Sterba opens himself up to criticism by this very meritoriousness, in that his ambition to be comprehensive raises more issues than can possibly be dealt with adequately in a 250-page book. Even the single topic of racial justice, I will suggest, has more dimensions than Sterba addresses.
