2002 C.B. Macpherson Prize

Winner: Joseph Carens

Culture, Citizenship, and Community. A Contextual Exploration of Justice as Evenhandedness (Oxford University Press, 2000)

Excerpt from jury report: The committee said of Joseph Carens that his book is comparable with the best international scholarship on the subject of citizenship and community, and contributes significantly to that scholarship through its attention to, and development of, ideas of context and evenhandedness. It demonstrates a subtlety and refinement of argumentation, engaging with and distilling a number of distinct theoretical positions. It combines theoretical depth with contextual sensitivity. Part of its subtlety lies in its grasp of concrete particular instances, showing how these particulars can enrich theoretical discussion by revealing hidden conceptual ambiguities. The committee agrees that this is a remarkable book, original and wide-ranging, whose importance will be recognised well beyond the discipline.