Book Review: Shelby, Tommie, "Dark Ghettos: Injustice, Dissent, and Reform"

Open Access

Abstract

Tommie Shelby's Dark Ghettos: Injustice Dissent and Reform is an unusual and highly original endeavor for analytical political philosophy. It is an examination of a central aspect of racial injustice in the contemporary United States. Shelby writes from the standpoint of non-ideal justice, but within a distinctly Rawlsian flavor and conceptual repertoire. Rawls has been criticized for his lack of attention to the topic of race, and for his concentration on ideal theory, but this work shows that Rawls's contribution to the theory of justice can yield dividends well outside its initial range of application. The publication of this book is a significant event in contemporary political philosophy. In addition to its exceptional merit in itself, it can be seen as part of an increasing, and very welcome, movement to broaden the range of topics and concerns that can legitimately be regarded as within the scope of the discipline.