Victims and Victimhood

Victims occupy a unique social role. In serious cases of victimhood, the claims of victims require a special degree of attention, and perhaps even deference on the part of an audience. Yet, victims are fallible, and an entirely uncritical attitude can lead to false allegations of wrongdoing or unwarranted preferential treatment. In this book, Trudy Govier adopts a careful approach, examining the very concept of victimhood and considering the practical implications of the various attitudes with which we may respond to victims. A range of real and hypothetical examples are considered to illustrate the complexity of the issues at play. Practical concerns are minded throughout, resulting in a book that is philosophically rigorous yet useful to any non-academic reader.