Pursuing Justice: Traditional and Contemporary Issues in Our Communities and the World

Pursuing Justice, Fourth Edition, examines the issue of justice by considering the origins of the idea, formal systems of justice, current global issues of justice, and ways in which justice might be achieved by individuals, organizations, and the global community. Part I demonstrates how the idea of justice has emerged over time, starting with religion and philosophy, and then to the concept of social justice. Part II outlines the very different mechanisms used by various nations for achieving state justice, including systems based on common law, civil law, and Islamic law, with a separate discussion of the U.S. justice system. Part III focuses on six contemporary issues of justice: war, immigration, domestic terrorism, genocide, slavery, and the environment. Finally, Part IV shows how individuals and organizations can go about pursuing justice, and describes the rise of global justice.

This updated book uses current events and debates to help students understand the complexities and nuances of a society’s pursuit of justice. It provides students with the foundations of global justice systems, integrating Greek philosophies and major religious perspectives into a justice perspective, and contributes to undergraduate understanding of international justice bodies, NGOs, and institutions.

Ralph A. Weisheit is a Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice at Illinois State University. He is the author of nine books, including Methamphetamine: Its History, Pharmacology, and Treatment (with William White), Domestic Marijuana: A Neglected Industry, Crime and Policing in Rural and Small Town America (with David N. Falcone and L. Edward Wells), and Research Methods for Rural Criminologists (with Jessica Rene Peterson and Artur Pytlarz). He has published numerous journal articles, book chapters, and solicited essays. He has appeared in the Frontline documentary film series and on the news program 60 Minutes. His work has been reported in The Atlantic Monthly, U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post, and USA Today.

Frank Morn, Professor Emeritus at Illinois State University, is the author of “The Eye That Never Sleeps”: A History of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency (1982). In addition, he has authored Academic Politics and the History of Criminal Justice Higher Education (1995) and Forgotten Reformer: Robert McClaughry and Criminal Justice Reform in Nineteenth Century America (2011) as well as the textbooks Foundations of Criminal Investigation (2000) and Criminal Justice Process and Problems: A Scenario Set for Student Analysis (1996, 1999). He won three teaching awards while at the University of Illinois (1980, 1982) and Illinois State University (2000). He has done consulting for criminal justice agencies in England, Spain, and Russia. He was a Fulbright scholar posted in Lanzhou, China.