In Defense of Gun Control
Hugh Lafollette
Reviews and Awards
"[The book] brings new clarity and philosophical rigor to the gun control debate ... What In Defense of Gun Control most brings out, through an in-depth treatment of the arguments, is a movement away from the polarities by showing the genuine complexity of the issue. While some arguments can be (and are rightfully) summarily dismissed, a reader is likely to find something compelling in both sets of arguments as presented. This is a great strength of the book, for it can hopefully lead us to a shift away from polarized positions and into a more nuanced dialogue about what is at stake and the positions that are actually being held. It is a strong effort in this space—one of only a few such rigorously argued works in philosophy on the topic—and we recommend it to all thoughtful readers." - Bradley Jay Strawser and Bart Kennedy, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, USA, Criminal Law and Philosophy
"Makes a valuable contribution to the public debate by identifying and destroying inadequate empirical claims popular among gun rights advocates. It is also admirable for its conscientiousness and intellectual humility, for example in explaining the empirical limitations of the public health argument for gun control. It is a model for how this debate should be conducted." - Bioethics
"Recommended." - CHOICE
"Hugh LaFollette has offered an informative, compelling and readable contribution to the philosophical literature on America's gun debate, which, as of yet, is still relatively small. He gives an overview of three major sets of arguments for and against gun control: armchair arguments, rights based arguments, and empirical arguments. He appraises each in turn, and ultimately points out how and where the gun rights position is wanting, and why the case for gun control is stronger. He concludes by detailing several proposals for gun control. These include some well-known (and much debated) regulations, like gun registration and background checks on gun purchases, but one idea that is rather novel and little discussed, mandatory liability insurance for gun owners." - Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews