The morality of freedom

the long version

"Ranging over central issues in morals and politics, this book discusses the nature of freedom and authority. Raz examines the role of value-neutrality, rights, equality, and the prevention of harm in the liberal tradition, and relates these concepts to fundamental moral questions such as the relation of values to social forms, the comparability of values, and the significance of personal commitments. The author's own views centre on the value of personal autonomy in modern societies. He considers the political implications of autonomy, which presupposes value-pluralism, and delineates the scope and limits of a perfectionist doctrine of toleration"--Unedited summary from book cover.