Ethics and moral philosophy Books

Book SynopsisJulius Kovesi's Moral Notions (1967) was a startlingly original contribution to moral philosophy and theory of meaning. After initial positive reviews Kovesi's book was largely forgotten. Nevertheless, it continued to have an enduring influence on a number of philosophers and theologians some of whom have contributed to this volume. The original essays collected here critique, analyze, deepen and extend the work of Kovesi. The book will be of particular interest to moral philosophers and those working on concept formation, while also having a broader appeal to social scientists grappling with the description/evaluation problem.

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Book SynopsisMorality is unique to humans, not animals. Westerners wrongly doubt ethics in Indian philosophy despite moral obligations in traditional texts. Misunderstanding stems from differing views on ethics and Indian philosophy.

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Book SynopsisKarma & Reincarnation by Robert Sachs explores spiritual transformation through global unity, drawing from Tibetan Buddhism and diverse faiths. It guides readers to be compassionate and interconnected, transcending barriers for a free and unified world.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive guide to Hinduism's doctrines, principles, moral values, and religious practices, compiled by scholars for Benares Hindu University students. Covers beliefs, rituals, philosophical tenets, and includes authentic references from religious texts.

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Book SynopsisIn the 21st century we need a new philosophy as opposed to the old philosophy: a philosophy of man or philosophical anthropology. The importance of a new philosophy of man is that it addresses people all over the world, thus helping us to overcome our differences. And if we look a bit further into the world of the 21st century, we see that the most pressing project will be the search for meaning in the lives of human beings in a globalised world. Following the complete existential deconstruction that took place in the 20th century, our confusion on the foundations of our life abounds. The next step, consolidation in the 21st century, has been achieved in my philosophical anthropology. The theoretical basis for the new philosophy was laid by American philosopher and member of the American Philosophical Association James Joseph Dagenais (1923-1981), who came to the conclusion that philosophical anthropology is not a science, but a domain unto itself and cannot be replaced by any other anthropology. The final explanation of man lies outside all possible scientific views that have ever been formulated, because they lie within the origins of every branch of science, including the science of philosophy. It is the final ground on which the philosophies, of any nature whatsoever, can be practised implicitly or explicitly.

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Book SynopsisA clear, chronological narrative exploring many of the ethical dilemmas posed for real people during and after the Second World War.Trade Review‘This is Burleigh at his best…a consummate encapsulator, with a masterly grip on an enormous literature…it demystifies, and presses on us the moral imperative of self-examination’ Independent ‘A magnificent moral survey of the Second World War…a long, brilliant, original, opinionated and scholarly meditation on morality as it appeared, or failed to appear, during the last global conflict…Seldom has a study of the past combined such erudition with such exuberance’ Guardian ‘A powerful and timely book…this is one of the most important books on the Second World War to be published in recent years’ Evening Standard ‘As always the colour and power of Burleigh’s prose is outstanding’ Observer ‘Burleigh’s outstanding book reminds us some things should never be forgotten’ Sunday Times ‘Michael Burleigh has long been one of our foremost writers on the importance of ethics in history, and in this deeply researched , closely argued and well-written analysis of the moral issues thrown up by the Second World War he has reached the zenith of his career’ Sunday Telegraph

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisIn choosing between moral alternatives -- choosing between various forms of ethical action -- we typically make calculations of the following kind: A is better than B; B is better than C; therefore A is better than C. These inferences use the principle of transitivity and are fundamental to many forms of practical and theoretical theorizing, not just in moral and ethical theory but in economics. Indeed they are so common as to be almost invisible. What Larry Temkin''s book shows is that, shockingly, if we want to continue making plausible judgments, we cannot continue to make these assumptions. Temkin shows that we are committed to various moral ideals that are, surprisingly, fundamentally incompatible with the idea that better than can be transitive. His book develops many examples where value judgments that we accept and find attractive, are incompatible with transitivity. While this might seem to leave two options -- reject transitivity, or reject some of our normative commitments iTrade ReviewRethinking the Good threatens to overturn some of our most deeply entrenched beliefs about our various values and practical reasoning.... [It is] an utterly original work of philosophy, almost breath-takingly so. * Shelly Kagan, Yale University *Rethinking the Good is a genuinely awe-inspiring achievement. Its discussions of a broad range of the deepest and most perplexing issues in normative ethics are unsurpassed in imaginativeness, subtlety, and rigor...Temkin's rich and brilliant book will transform our understanding of many of the most important problems in ethical theory. * Jeff McMahan, Oxford University *This book is about some of the most profound issues in human life... its challenging and sophisticated arguments will be sources of insight and inspiration for anyone who reflects on them. * Roger Crisp, Oxford University *Larry Temkin's magnum opus, Rethinking the Good... is unquestionably one of the grandest, most significant, and most profound works on value and practical reasoning ever written. * Jake Ross, The Journal of Moral Philosophy *The most important work in choice theory and social choice in some time. * Tyler Cowen, MARGINALREVOLUTION *Rethinking the Good is the most powerful challenge to our understanding of axiology and normative theory in contemporary philosophy to date. Calling it a classic or a masterpiece is an understatement: it is a true milestone with which we enter a new stage in the study of value theory. * Oscar Horta, Law, Ethics, and Philosophy *...a rich and challenging work, and a profound contribution. * Richard Kraut, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *A real tour de force... * Véronique Munoz-Dardé, The Journal of Moral Philosophy *Larry Temkin's monumental book Rethinking the Good is by far the most resourceful and penetrating investigation into the various aspects of the value of outcomes to date. * Ingmar Persson, Law, Ethics, and Philosophy *...[A] great work of philosophy....both groundshaking and crafted with near-perfect precision...one of the most important works in ethics to appear in recent decades, sure to be studied closely by philosophers and non-philosophers alike for decades to come...[a] brilliant and exciting book. * Melinda Roberts, Analysis *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Aggregation and Problems about Trade-offs: Many-Person Spectrum ; 3. A "New" Principle of Aggregation ; 4. On the Separateness of Individuals, Compensation, and Aggregation ; 5. Aggregation and Problems about Trade-offs Within Lives: Single- Person Spectrum Arguments ; 6. Another Spectrum Argument: From Infant to Fertilized Ovum ; 7. Exploring Transitivity: Part I ; 8. Exploring Transitivity: Part II ; 9. Expected Utility Theory/Expected Value Theory ; 10. Spectrum Arguments: Objections and Replies ; 11. On the Value of Utility and Two Models for Combining Ideals ; 12. On the Nature of Moral Ideals, Part I ; 13. On the Nature of Moral Ideals, Part II ; 14. Juggling to Preserve Transitivity ; 15. Conclusion ; Appendices ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisPeople differ in terms of how morally deserving they are. And it is a good thing if people get what they deserve. Accordingly, it is important to work out an adequate theory of moral desert. But while certain aspects of such a theory have been frequently discussed in the philosophical literature, many others have been surprisingly neglected. For example, if it is indeed true that it is morally good for people to get what they deserve, does it always do the same amount of good when someone gets what they deserve? Or does it matter how deserving the person is? If we cannot give someone exactly what they deserve, is it better to give too much-or better to give too little? Does being twice as virtuous make you twice as deserving? And how are we to take into account the thought that what you deserve depends in part on how others are doing? The Geometry of Desert explores a number of these less familiar questions, using graphs to illustrate the various possible answers. The result is a more Trade ReviewThe Geometry of Desert is essential reading for those who value moral desert, but it also has a great deal to offer those who do not. * Thomas Hurka, Mind *At over six hundred pages it is monumental in both size and achievement Kagan's survey of the possible answers to this question is a tour de force Kagan's book is so rich that I have only begun to scratch the surface. * Brad Skow, Ethics *The Geometry of Desert is a model of analytic rigor, clarity, and thoroughness. An enormous amount of thought, care, and effort went into writing this book, which explores the possibilities for the design and use of graphs in numerous settings and with considerable originality and inventiveness. * Saul Smilansky, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Every few years a book appears that every philosopher, at least every philosopher in a particular field, must read. This volume by Kagan is such a book. It will be the subject of many graduate seminars and dissertations in the coming years.... Essential. * H. Oberdiek, CHOICE *Kagan's variations on [the theme of desert] are magnificent. Never has the range of possibilities available to friends of desert been outlined so systematically, carefully and profoundly. ... Kagan's remarkable book charts almost completely unfamiliar territory One of Kagan's brilliant innovations - one that strikingly illuminates the range of issues Kagan is concerned with * is the representation of desert on graphs The Geometry of Desert is a fascinating, illuminating, creative and highly original piece of philosophy. Kagan has taken the idea of desert in directions few could have imagined."Victor Tadros, Criminal Law and Philosophy *The Geometry of Desert is a fascinating, illuminating, creative and highly original piece of philosophy. Kagan has taken the idea of desert in directions few could have imagined. * Victor Tadros, Criminal Law and Philosophy *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgments ; A Note to the Reader ; 1. MORAL DESERT ; 1.1 A Familiar Thought ; 1.2 Some Familiar Questions ; 1.3 Skepticism ; 1.4 Intrinsic Value ; 1.5 Unfamiliar Questions ; PART I: NONCOMPARATIVE DESERT ; 2. FAULT FORFEITS FIRST ; 2.1 The Basic View ; 2.2 Pluralism ; 2.3 Extending the Account ; 2.4 Discount Rates and Multipliers ; 3. DESERT GRAPHS ; 3.1 Graphs ; 3.2 Varying Slopes ; 3.3 Rotation ; 3.4 Peaks ; 3.5 Multiple Peaks ; 3.6 Comparing Sides ; 3.7 Bell Motion ; 3.8 The Sym Mountain ; 3.9 Shift ; 4. SKYLINES ; 4.1 The Occupation of the X Axis ; 4.2 Constant Skylines ; 4.3 The V Shaped Skyline ; 4.4 Varieties of Desert ; 4.5 Taking Stock ; PART II: COMPLICATIONS AND ALTERNATIVES ; 5. OTHER SHAPES ; 5.1 Plateaus ; 5.2 Retributivism and Plateaus ; 5.3 Simple Straight Lines ; 5.4 Bent Lines ; 5.5 Curved Desert ; 5.6 Detailing Curved Desert ; 5.7 Curved Plateaus ; 6. PLACING PEAKS ; 6.1 The Mapping Function ; 6.2 Curved Mapping Functions ; 6.3 Revisiting the Sym Mountain ; 6.4 Revisiting the V Shaped Skyline ; 6.5 Further Constraints on the Skyline ; 6.6 The Logical Limits of Bell Motion ; 6.7 Disaggregation ; PART III: COMPARATIVE DESERT ; 7. THE RATIO VIEW ; 7.1 The Idea of Comparative Desert ; 7.2 Problems for the Ratio View ; 7.3 Optimism ; 7.4 The Impossibility Defense ; 7.5 Absolute Zero ; 8. SIMILAR OFFENSE ; 8.1 The Y Gap View ; 8.2 Reconsidering the Cases ; 8.3 More on the Y Gap Constraint ; 8.4 Percentages ; 8.5 A Fourth View ; 9. GRAPHING COMPARATIVE DESERT ; 9.1 Relative Advantage ; 9.2 Two Problems ; 9.3 Graphing the X Gap View ; 9.4 Motion Along the Y Axis ; 9.5 Graphing the Y Gap View ; 10. VARIATION ; 10.1 Comparative Bell Motion ; 10.2 Comparative Skylines ; 10.3 Moral Significance Again ; 10.4 Two More Possibilities ; 10.5 One Size Fits All ; 10.6 Sliding Up ; 11. GROUPS ; 11.1 Two Approaches ; 11.2 Size ; 11.3 Another Look ; 11.4 Adjusting the Graphs ; 11.5 Variable Steepness Reconsidered ; PART IV: DESERT ; 12. DESERT TAKEN AS A WHOLE ; 12.1 Partial Values ; 12.2 Open Questions ; 12.3 Rough Comparability ; 12.4 Another Series ; 12.5 Other Values ; 13. RESERVATIONS ; 13.1 Deontology ; 13.2 Methodology ; 13.3 Ideology ; Endnotes ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisFrom eye-witness accounts of elephants apparently mourning the death of family members to an experiment that showed that hungry rhesus monkeys would not take food if doing so gave another monkey an electric shock, there is much evidence of animals displaying what seem to be moral feelings. But despite such suggestive evidence, philosophers steadfastly deny that animals can act morally, and for reasons that virtually everyone has found convincing. In Can Animals be Moral?, philosopher Mark Rowlands examines the reasoning of philosophers and scientists on this question--ranging from Aristotle and Kant to Hume and Darwin--and reveals that their arguments fall far short of compelling. The basic argument against moral behavior in animals is that humans have capabilities that animals lack. We can reflect on our motivations, formulate abstract principles that allow that allow us to judge right from wrong. For an actor to be moral, he or she must be able scrutinize their motivations and actionTrade ReviewCan Animals Be Moral? offers the most comprehensive analysis and evaluation to date of the traditional views underlying scepticism about the moral subjecthood of animals and it does an excellent job of clarifying the conceptual and argumentative landscape. * Robert Streifer, Mind *Philosophers will appreciate the carefulness of Rowlands's arguments, the clarity of his writing, and his understated sense of humor. * Jessica Pierce, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *An excellent book, not only on what it is for animals to be moral, but what it is for humans to be moral, whether one agrees with the conclusions or not. In short, it is a book on what it is to be moral per se that challenges with skill and imagination goes-without-saying preconceptions of the moral and so deserves to be widely read. * John Shand, The Philosophical Quarterly *This book makes an enormous contribution to an under-explored topic. It makes a novel and persuasive case that animals can be moral within certain limits, and lays the way for future philosophical and empirical enquiry. * Dr. Tom McClelland, Metapsychology *Mark Rowlands is one of the rarest creatures today: a genuine intellectual, a fearless interrogator, and a frighteningly capable person who can who can turn his attention to practically any subject and provide insightful commentary.... Can Animals Be Moral? is a brilliant book, superbly written with wit and panache * it will be remembered as a classic.Andrew Linzey, Director, Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics *In his well-argued book that blends philosophical inquiry with empirical data, Mark Rowlands argues that animals can and sometimes do act for moral reasons. I couldn't agree more. People with varying interests will find this book to be a welcomed addition to their required reading list. Despite having been long interested in the moral lives of animals, I learned a lot from this wide-ranging book. * Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado, Boulder, author (with Jessica Pierce) of Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals *Rowlands carves out a space where animals can act for moral reasons without being as self-reflective (or self-congratulatory) as humans sometimes are. With clear-headed thinking, he maps out the terrain where ethics, philosophy of mind, and cognitive ethology meet. This book will be an indispensable to everyone concerned about justifying moral respect for animals. * Colin Allen, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Indiana University *Readers enticed by the title and anticipating an animal rights book for general audiences will be challenged by this closely reasoned work.... Rowlands...has produced both a valuable contribution to animal ethics literature and a fine example of the application of philosophical reasoning to a controversial topic. * W.P. Hogan, CHOICE *Table of Contents1. Can Animals be Moral? ; 2. Attributing Emotions to Animals ; 3. Moral Agents, Patients, and Subjects ; 4. The Reflection Condition: Aristotle and Kant ; 5. The Idiot ; 6. The Phenomenology of Moral Motivation ; 7. Moral Motivation and Meta-Cognition ; 8. Moral Reasons and Practice ; 9. Reconstructing Normativity and Agency ; 10. A Cognitive Ethologist from Mars

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Book SynopsisThoughtful observers agree that the planetary crisis we now face-climate change; species extinction; the destruction of entire ecosystems; the urgent need for a more just economic-political order-is pushing human civilization to a radical turning point: change or perish. But precisely how to change remains an open question.In Earth-honoring Faith, Larry Rasmussen answers that question with a dramatically new way of thinking about human society, ethics, and the ongoing health of our planet. Rejecting the modern assumption that morality applies to human society alone, Rasmussen insists that we must derive a spiritual and ecological ethic that accounts for the well-being of all creation, as well as the primal elements upon which it depends: earth, air, fire, water, and sunlight. He argues that good science, necessary as it is, will not be enough to inspire fundamental change. We must draw on religious resources as well to make the difficult transition from an industrial-technological age Trade ReviewIn many ways Earth-Honoring Faith resembles an intricate, colorful song played by a vast collection of deft instrumentalists. Rasmussen is a master at tying together a large number of resources and perspectives, each carefully tuned to play the right notes. Persuasively, even lyrically, he has assembled a grand orchestra to inspire deep reflection and animate meaningful practice. * The Christian Century *This book is important, timely, sorely needed and deeply prophetic- delivering a hard, truthful indictment of the world as it is, but also suggesting visionary, hopeful Earth-honoring ways forward... yes, you should, you need , to read this. * Journal of Lutheran Ethics *Larry Rasmussen has once again penned a masterwork uniting ecological ethics and religious practices broadly envisioned. If the Earth is to survive, ethical theory and spiritual praxis are equally vital. Science informs. Religions motivat. A transformation combining these concepts is urgently needed at this moment in time on our planet. * Catholic Books Review *He [Rasmussen] writes extremely well, with elegance and eloquence, and weaves poetry, narrative, and personal stories into a tapestry informed by keen ethical insight and analysis. His treatment of power relations in the economy and of consumerism is masterful. This book is a must for anyone interested in the environment who is not willing to settle for lazy aphorisms and superficial panaceas. * CHOICE *This book is a tour-de-force, bringing together theological reflection and ethical persuasion to argue for the transformation of religions into their ecological phase. Larry Rasmussen is eloquent, comprehensive, and compelling in his articulation of a vision that is sorely needed for our emerging Earth Community. * Mary Evelyn Tucker, Co-Director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology, Yale University *Larry Rasmussen's new work on religious ethics moves from a lyrical homage to the sacred web of life to a searing indictment of the utilitarian use of nature by both capitalist and socialist industrialization. Drawing on mystical, prophetic, and wisdom traditions, Rasmussen shows that a paradigm shift to an ecologically conscious civilization is possible. Inspired by local communities, an earth-honoring faith becomes a song of songs. * Aruna Gnanadason, author of Listen to the Women, Listen to the Earth *Rasmussen argues persuasively that religion needs to stop perceiving nature as the stage for the human salvation drama and view it instead as the locus for experience of the divine. His scholarship is impeccable and his ability to weave together insights from various fields and scholars is exemplary. Earth-honoring Faith is a grand intellectual endeavor that reflects interdisciplinary thinking at its best. * Jim Martin-Schramm, Professor of Religion, Luther College *By writing so lyrically and in open conversation with so many others struggling to create language for this civilizational transition, Larry Rasmussen shows the awkwardness of inherited language and ideas for discussing the new moral world that humanity needs to learn to inhabit. He demonstrates how to make sense of ancient moral traditions in a new context, and how to bend them into a new imagination of the world. This book is a serious contribution to religious ethics. It will be appreciated not only by scholars in the field but by many thinking readers worried about sustainability crises and looking for cultural resources to reshape our shared moral imagination. * Willis Jenkins, author of Ecologies of Grace *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Prelude ; PART I ; 1 The Creature We Are ; 2 The World We Have ; 3 The Faith We Seek ; 4 The Ethic We Need: Change and Imagination ; 5 The Ethic We Need: Good Theory ; 6 The Ethic We Need: Community Matrix ; 7 The Ethic We Need: Tilling and Keeping ; Interlude ; PART II ; 8 Asceticism and Consumerism ; 9 The Sacred and the Commodified ; 10 Mysticism and Alienation ; 11 Prophetic/Liberative Practices and Oppression ; 12 Wisdom and Folly ; 13 Closing ; Postlude ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisEminent political theorist Joseph Carens tests the limits of democratic theory in the realm of immigration, arguing that any acceptable immigration policy must be based on moral principles even if it conflicts with the will of the majority.Trade ReviewCaren's writes in a refreshingly calm, measured, humane voice about one of the most politically charged and morally urgent issues of our time, deftly illustrating what philosophers can add to the heated conversation. He is the leading anglophone political philosopher working on the subject of immigration, and this book is the culmination of decades of path-breaking research...a brilliant and engaging, persuasive book, which attempts to reconcile the claims of democratic communities and the claims of migrants. * Sarah Fine, The Times Literary Supplement *Joseph Carens has written what is sure to be the definitive text on the ethics of immigration and citizenship for many years to come ... This is a rich and stimulating book and it will be the essential starting point for anyone thinking about the normative principles that ought to govern human movement across borders, citizenship and the right of states to regulate where people live and work. * Christopher Bertram, Mind *The Ethics of Immigration illuminates the field that Carens has played a pivotal role in founding. A rich and sophisticated discussion of the normative demands of migration, it is also a subtle meditation on the methodological commitments of such theorizing. Carens has written the required text for the political theory of migration. * David Owen, Professor of Social & Political Philosophy, University of Southampton *Joseph Carens's book is a masterful achievement. In strikingly accessible prose, Carens applies the principles of democracy to immigration. The results are sometimes surprising, often provocative, and always well-argued. Traversing both ideal and non-ideal theory, this is the book to read on immigration. * Jeff Spinner-Halev, Kenan Eminent Professor of Political Ethics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill *No other author has examined the ethical imperatives and dilemmas of immigration as thoroughly as Joseph Carens. In this book he successfully blends philosophical reflections with practical illustrations and speaks to a broad audience of citizens in wealthy democracies who are troubled about their moral right to exclude immigrants from access to their territory and citizenship. * Rainer Baubock, European University Institute, Florence *Carens's long-awaited book reprises many of his founding contributions to the field while also advancing them significantly. Carens navigates deftly between grand theory and contextual analysis, between the demands of realism and those of justice, to achieve a synoptic and clarifying analysis of migration ethics. This is an optimistic work of political theory, one motivated by the author's conviction that justice is possible when democratic states pursue immigration policies 'true to their most basic commitments'. * Linda Bosniak, Distinguished Professor of Law, Rutgers University *Elegantly argued...Carens covers the plight of refugees, guest workers, and other displaced persons with nuance and sympathy. * Publisher's Weekly *The Ethics is indispensable reading for anyone interested in the morality of immigration and it will be of value both to philosophers and to empirical social scientists. * Matthew J. Gibney, Migration Studies. *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; 1. Introduction: Mapping the Ethics of Immigration ; PART I: WHO BELONGS? ; 2. Birthright Citizenship ; 3. Naturalization ; 4. Beyond Legal Citizenship to Inclusion ; 5. Permanent Residents ; 6. Temporary Workers ; 7. Irregular Migrants ; 8. The Theory of Social Membership ; PART II: WHO SHOULD GET IN? ; 9. Ordinary Admissions ; 10. Refugees ; 11. The Case for Open Borders ; 12. The Claims of Community ; 13. Conclusion ; Appendix: Presuppositions and Political Theory ; References ; Notes ; Index

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Book SynopsisNo one wants to be treated merely as a means-used, in a sense. But just what is this repugnant treatment? Audi''s point of departure is Kant''s famous principle that we must treat persons as ends in themselves and never merely as means. Treatment of these kinds is conduct, a complex three-dimensional notion whose central elements are action, its motivation, and the manner of its performance. He shows how the notions of treating persons as ends and, by contrast, merely as means, can be anchored outside Kant and clarified in ways that enhance their usefulness both in ethical theory and in practical ethics, where they have much intuitive force. Audi constructs an account of treatment of persons-of what it is, how it differs from mere interpersonal action, and what ethical standards govern it. In accounting for such treatment, the book develops a wider conception of ethics than is commonly implicit in utilitarian, deontological, or virtue theories. These results contribute to ethical theorTrade ReviewThere are many things to appreciate about this book. The chapters are rich with detailed examples which provide a valuable resource for teaching and for further study. Also, Audi has again demonstrated his mastery of the difficult feat of writing a serious philosophical text that has significant depth, while at the same time giving us a text that is jargon-free enough to be of use to the non-specialist. Furthermore, despite the theoretical focus of the book, practical concerns are never far from view. In fact, the final chapter focuses on the extent to which we have control over our treatment of one another and ends with a discussion that reveals his deep concern for acting morally toward one another. It's a lovely way to end a book about what it means to treat people as ends in themselves. * Sharon Mason, Metapsychology Online Reviews *Audi pursues his discussion of the Formula of Humanity with unstinting care and philosophical ingenuity. Through well-chosen examples and patient exposition he develops a moral psychology that throws light on what it takes to live up to the principle ... the effort to expound the Formula of Humanity in a way that exemplifies its relevance to the greater world of ethical theory is a success. * Kenneth Walden, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Online *Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments ; Introduction ; Part One ; The Ethics of Protecting Persons ; Chapter 1 ; The Instrumental Treatment of Persons ; Means and Ends ; Instrumental Versus End-Regarding Treatment ; Treating Solely as a Means versus Merely as a Means ; Chapter 2 ; Instrumental Treatment as Human Conduct ; The Motivation and Controllability of Merely Instrumental Conduct ; Constraints, Moral Character, and Self-Control ; Motivation, Constraints, and the Appraisal of Character ; Chapter 3 ; Action, Treatment and Conduct ; Action, Endeavor, and Consequence ; Two Levels of Behavioral Description ; Conduct as a Morally Important Category ; Manners of Action Versus Actions as Defined by Manner ; Chapter 4 ; The Wrong-Making Character of Merely Instrumental Treatment ; Thick and Thin Moral Questions ; Substantive and Contrastive Views of Merely Instrumental Treatment ; Persons as Ends Versus Good Ends for Persons ; Internal and External Goods for Persons ; Part Two ; The Ethics of Respecting Persons ; Chapter 5 ; Treating Others as Ends in Themselves ; Caring about the Good of Others ; Two Kinds of Normativity ; Descriptive Grounds of End-regarding Treatment ; Chapter 6 ; End-Regarding Treatment and Respect for Persons ; Good Deeds, Good Reasons, and Good Conduct ; End-Regarding Treatment, Intention, and Interpersonal Behavior ; The Particularity of Persons and the Interchangeability of Means ; Chapter 7 ; Autonomy and the Moral Significance of Our Self-Conceptions ; Psychological Dispositions and the Basis of Consent ; Respect for Persons, Point of View, and Informed Rational Desire ; End-Regarding Treatment and Respecting Moral Rights ; Conduct Toward Persons versus Behavior Affecting Them ; Chapter 8 ; Conduct, Intention, and Will ; Motivational Self-Control and the Scope of Intentions ; The Manner of Interpersonal Conduct ; Moral Requirements and the Content of Intention ; Conduct Requirements and the Love Commandments ; Conclusion ; Index

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Book SynopsisThis new essay collection by distinguished philosopher Margaret Gilbert provides a richly textured argument for the importance of joint commitment in our personal and public lives. Topics covered by these diverse essays range from marital love to patriotism, from promissory obligation to the unity of the European Union.Trade ReviewAs Gilbert sees it, joint commitments are centrally constitutive of collective actions and attitudes, the practice of promising, conventions, political obligations and so on as per the above set of chapter headings. As the sub-title suggests, joint commitment is evidently by her lights the most fundamental social concept. As is fitting, she applies it in a wide variety of contexts, and the result is a wide-ranging and lively set of essays. Importantly, she applies her theoretical notion to questions in political philosophy and thereby connects abstract theory to real world concerns, something most theorists in this sub-field have not yet done. While many of the essays are well-known to those working in the field, it is useful to have them collected in one place, not the least because it facilitates development of an overview of her oeuvre. * Seumas Miller, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *a valuable resource to scholars in a variety of disciplines, as well as ordinary people, who have an interest in the everyday phenomena that Gilbert discusses with much insight and illumination...an enjoyable read and can be recommended to a broad-ranging audience. * Matti Heinonen, Journal of Social Ontology *Table of ContentsCONTENTS ; PREFACE ; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ; SOURCES ; INTRODUCTION ; PART I SHARED AGENCY ; Ch. 1 Acting Together ; Ch. 2 Considerations on Joint Commitment ; Ch. 3 Who's to Blame? ; Ch. 4 Rationality in Collective Action ; Ch. 5 Two Approaches to Shared Intention ; PART II COLLECTIVE ATTITUDES ; Ch. 6 Belief and Acceptance as Features of Groups ; Ch. 7 Collective Epistemology ; Ch. 8 Shared Values, Social Unity, and Liberty ; Ch. 9 Social Convention Revisited ; Ch. 10 Collective Guilt Feelings ; PART III MUTUAL RECOGNITION, PROMISES, AND LOVE ; Ch. 11 "Fusion": a contractual model ; Ch. 12 The problem of promisees' rights ; Ch. 13 Three dogmas about promising ; Ch. 14 Mutual Recognition ; PART IV POLITICAL LIFE ; Ch. 15 A Real Unity of Them All ; Ch. 16 Pro Patria: an Essay on Patriotism ; Ch. 17 De-moralizing Political Obligation ; Ch. 18 Commands and Their Practical Import ; BIBLIOGRAPHY OF AUTHOR'S WORKS ; INDEX

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Book SynopsisDeath has long been a pre-occupation of philosophers, and this is especially so today. The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Death collects 21 newly commissioned essays that cover current philosophical thinking of death-related topics across the entire range of the discipline. These include metaphysical topics--such as the nature of death, the possibility of an afterlife, the nature of persons, and how our thinking about time affects what we think about death--as well as axiological topics, such as whether death is bad for its victim, what makes it bad to die, what attitude it is fitting to take towards death, the possibility of posthumous harm, and the desirability of immortality. The contributors also explore the views of ancient philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato and Epicurus on topics related to the philosophy of death, and questions in normative ethics, such as what makes killing wrong when it is wrong, and whether it is wrong to kill fetuses, non-human animals, combatants in waTrade ReviewThis handbook offers a diverse survey of contemporary work with some discussion of its historical touchstones (particularly the thought of Epicurus and Lucretius). Topics range from ordinary-language analysis of the concept of death, and the associated problems personal identity and temporal persistence, to value-oriented examination of whether death is bad or evil, the possibility and value of immortality, and what constitutes the wrongness of killing. Contributors make frequent and helpful use of thought experiments and references to popular culture to ensure that difficult concepts and arguments are clear. The argumentation will be accessible for those possessing basic familiarity with analytic methodology. * D.A. Forbes, CHOICE *As a collection on cutting-edge work in metaphysics of death and, to a lesser extent, related ethical issues, this is a solid collection that both engages recent debates and furnishes multiple possible directions that these debates may take. * James Bodington, Metapsychology Online Reviews16/03/16 *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Philosophy of Death ; Ben Bradley, Fred Feldman, Jens Johansson ; 1. When Do Things Die? ; Cody Gilmore ; 2. Death and the Disintegration of Personality ; Fred Feldman ; 3. The Person and the Corpse ; Eric Olson ; 4. Personal Identity and the Survival of Death ; Dean Zimmerman ; 5. The Evil of Death: What Can Metaphysics Contribute? ; Theodore Sider ; 6. Death and Eternal Recurrence ; Lars Bergstrom ; 7. Death in Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle ; Gareth B. Matthews ; 8. When Death Is There, We Are Not: Epicurus on Pleasure and Death ; Phillip Mitsis ; 9. The Badness of Death and the Goodness of Life ; John Broome ; 10. The Symmetry Problem ; Roy Sorensen ; 11. The Timing Problem ; Jens Johansson ; 12. Death, Value, and Desire ; Christopher Belshaw ; 13.Death and Rational Emotion ; Kai Draper ; 14. Retroactive Harms and Wrongs ; Steven Luper ; 15. Immortality ; John Martin Fischer ; 16. The Makropulos Case Revisited: Reflections on Immortality and Agency ; Connie Rosati ; 17. The Wrongness of Killing and the Badness of Death ; Matthew Hanser ; 18. Abortion and Death ; Don Marquis ; 19. The Morality of Killing in War ; Frances Kamm ; 20. The Significance of Death for Animals ; Alastair Norcross ; 21. Capital Punishment ; Torbjorn Tannsjo ; Index

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Book SynopsisThis book is a philosophical exploration of disorientation and its significance for action. Disorientations are human experiences of losing one''s bearings, such that life is disrupted and it is not clear how to go on. In the face of life experiences like trauma, grief, illness, migration, education, queer identification, and consciousness raising, individuals can be deeply disoriented. These and other disorientations are not rare. Although disorientations can be common and powerful parts of individuals'' lives, they remain uncharacterized by Western philosophers, and overlooked by ethicists.Disorientations can paralyze, overwhelm, embitter, and misdirect moral agents, and moral philosophy and motivational psychology have important insights to offer into why this is. More perplexing are the ways disorientations may prompt improved moral action.Ami Harbin draws on first person accounts, philosophical texts, and qualitative and quantitative research to show that in some cases of disorienTrade ReviewBy setting out to find moral fruit growing in the disorderly cracks of unsettling phenomena, Harbin contributes to the growing and vital field of non-ideal theory in ethics. There's great and urgent value in her argument against treating practical disorientation as an abject defect... For insisting that we pay close attention to those who wrestle viscerally with problems of how to go on, Harbin's book is a vital intervention in moral philosophy. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Ami Harbin's first book, Disorientation and Moral Life, is a much-welcomed contribution to the field of feminist philosophy. Drawing on a rich tradition of thought in moral psychology, philosophy and feminist theory, as well as on first-person accounts of the disorientations of migration, trauma, queerness, illness and feminist and anti-racist consciousness-raising, Harbin provides readers with a compelling and conceptually astute reading of the moral significance of disorientations. * Hypatia *The book demands that we attend to a feature of ordinary human lives curiously neglected by moral theory. Most of us will eventually find ourselves in a situation that staggers our normal expectations: a serious illness, the end of a career, the realization that we are the target of oppression. Harbin asks us to think carefully about these situations, and especially to see how they might be harnessed to contribute positively to our moral choices...Disorientation is a part of many human lives, and in highlighting its capacity to foster moral improvement, Harbin has done a good thing for both ethical theory and the pursuit of social justice. * Regina Rini, Hypatia Reviews Online *Exciting, challenging, and innovative thinking is found in recent feminist and critical race theory, and Ami Harbin's new book, Disorientation and Moral Life is an example ... this book is enlightening and would be a good textbook in both philosophy and psychology courses. Clearly, it makes an invaluable contribution to the interdisciplinary fields of philosophy and psychology. * Nancy Nyquist Potter, Metapsychology Online Reviews *Table of ContentsTable of contents Preface: Life Beyond What One Has Concepts For Acknowledgments Chapter One: Being Disoriented 1.1 Contextualizing the concept 1.2 Disorientation and family resemblance 1.3 Methodologies for interpreting disorientations and their effects 1.3 (i) Claims about what disorientations are 1.3 (ii) Claims about what disorientations do 1.3 (iii) Implications of this account for moral motivation and agency 1.3 (iv) Implications of this account for understandings of oppression 1.4 Conclusion Chapter Two: Moral Motivation beyond Moral Resolve 2.1 Identifying moral resolve 2.2 Legacies of resolvism 2.2 (i) Resolvism in accounts of moral development 2.2 (ii) Resolvism in accounts of moral judgment 2.2 (iii) Resolvism in accounts of moral failure 2.2 (iv) Resolvism in accounts of moral growth 2.3 The disorientations of grief 2.4 Contesting resolvism Chapter Three: What is Disorientation in Thinking? 3.1 Disorientations of life under racism 3.1 (i) Double consciousness and awareness of oppressive norms 3.1 (ii) White ambush and awareness of oppressive norms 3.2 Disorientations of learning about oppression and privilege 3.2 (i) Consciousness raising and awareness of political complexity 3.2 (ii) Critical classrooms and awareness of political complexity 3.3 The power of awareness without moral resolve 3.3 (i) Prompting epistemic humility 3.3 (ii) Prompting resistant re-identification 3.3 (iii) Prompting different relations to felt power 3.4 Conclusion Chapter Four: Tenderizing Effects and Acting Despite Ourselves 4.1 Disorientations of interruption 4.1 (i) Illness, sensing vulnerability, and living unprepared 4.1 (ii) Trauma and living unprepared 4.2 Disorientations of ill fit 4.2 (i) Queerness and in-this-togetherness 4.2 (ii) Migration and living against the grain 4.3 The power of tenderizing effects 4.4 Conclusion Chapter Five: Injustice and Irresoluteness 5.1 Resolute and irresolute action against injustice 5.2 Both/and actions, heterosexism, and mass incarceration 5.3 Doubling back actions, implicit bias, and colonialism 5.4 Building without blueprints and post-industrial poverty 5.5 Conclusion Chapter Six: Disorientation and Habitability 6.1 Dismissing disorientations 6.2 Responding to disoriented others 6.3 Responding to oneself as disorientable 6.4 Back to the rough waves References

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Book SynopsisSocial ontology, in its broadest sense, is the study of the nature of social reality, including collective intentions and agency. The starting point of Tuomela''s account of collective intentionality is the distinction between thinking and acting as a private person (I-mode) versus as a we-thinking group member (we-mode). The we-mode approach is based on social groups consisting of persons, which may range from simple task groups consisting of a few persons to corporations and even to political states. Tuomela extends the we-mode notion to cover groups controlled by external authority. Thus, for instance, cooperation and attitude formation are studied in cases where the participants are governed from above as in many corporations.The volume goes on to present a systematic philosophical theory related to the collectivism-versus-individualism debate in the social sciences. A weak version of collectivism (the we-mode approach) depends on group-based collective intentionality. We-mode collTrade Review"This book is an important contribution to the social ontology literature" -- EthicsTable of ContentsPreface Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Groups and We-Thinking Chapter 3: Collective Intentions Chapter 4: Acting for Social Reasons Chapter 5: Collective Acceptance and the Formation of Group Attitudes Chapter 6: Cooperation and Authority Chapter 7: We-Reasoning in Game-Theoretic Context Chapter 8: Institutional Facts and Institutions Chapter 9: Group Solidarity: All for One and One for All References Index

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Book SynopsisJoining the ancient debate over the roles of reason and appetite in the moral mind, In Praise of Desire takes the side of appetite. The book makes the claim that acting for moral reasons, acting in a praiseworthy manner, and acting out of virtue amount to nothing more than acting out of intrinsic desires for the right or the good, correctly conceived. In Praise of Desire shows that a desire-centered moral psychology can be richer than philosophers commonly think, accommodating the full complexity of moral life.Trade ReviewPraise of Desire combines Arpaly and Schroeder's treat strengths to produce a book populated with engaging and naturalistic examples, argued with great systematic sophistication... The authors powerfully illuminate the nature and importance of the role played by the aspect under which we undertake actions in determining whether we count as responding fittingly to the situations in which we find ourselves and the amount of praise and blame due us for doing so. * Justin Jennings, Journal of Moral Philosophy *The great accomplishment of In Praise of Desire is that it shows that a robust theory of virtue and moral responsibility can be founded on a behavioral and neural basis. As such, it is an excellent contribution to moral psychology. * Polaris Koi, doctoral candidate in Philosophy at the University of Turku, Finland, Metapsychology *pleasingly forthright and readable book...As Arpaly and Schroeder say in their conclusion, their aim has been to spark a debate rather than provide a final theory. With its integration of considerations from ethics, philosophy of mind and the empirical science, this book provides an excellent beginning. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Online *... is a fantastic book. Its ambitions are high, its arguments are insightful and its prose is clear and crisp. I recommend it in the highest possible terms to anyone working on the intersections of moral psychology, philosophy of action, philosophy of mind, practical reason, and normative ethics. * Ethics *...I think the book is impressive, necessary reading for all moral psychologists and appropriate for a graduate (or sophisticated undergraduate) seminar on moral psychology. * Analysis *This book makes an important contribution to the literature supporting the kind of position the authors favour, but beyond that, virtually all the topics covered, whether or not structural parts of the authors' larger argument, involve philosophically interesting discussions very much worth considering. * Mind *Table of ContentsIntroduction Section I: Reason Chapter 1: Deliberation Chapter 2: How Deliberation Works Chapter 3: Thinking and Acting for Reasons Section II: Desire Chapter 4: Love and Care Chapter 5: What Desires Are Not Chapter 6: What Desires Are Section III: Virtue Chapter 7: Credit and Blame Chapter 8: Virtue Chapter 9: Virtue and Cognition Section IV: Puzzles Chapter 10: Inner Struggle Chapter 11: Addiction Conclusion Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisWhy would a perfectly good and loving God consign anyone to eternal suffering in hell? In Sinners in the Presence of a Loving God, R. Zachary Manis examines in detail the various facets of the problem of hell, considers the reasons why the usual responses to the problem are unsatisfying, and suggests how an adequate solution to the problem can be constructed.Historically, there are four standard explanations of the nature and purpose of hell: traditionalism, annihilationism, the choice model, and universalism. In Manis''s assessment, all are deficient in some crucial respect. The alternative view that he develops and defends, the divine presence model, stands within the tradition that understands hell to be a state of eternal conscious suffering, but, Manis contends, avoids the worst problems of its competitors. The key idea is that the suffering of hell is not the result of a divine act that aims to inflict it, but rather is the way in which a sinful creature necessarily experiences tTrade ReviewA short review of this kind cannot do justice to the subtlety, breath, readability, insightfulness and rigor of Manis's Sinners in the Presence of a Loving God. Suffice it to say that no theologian or philosopher who is interested in the doctrine of hell, and paradoxically being spiritually nourished by reflecting upon it, can afford not to read this theologically sensitive and ecumenical manuscript. * Jordan Wessling, Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, International Journal of Systematic Theology *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Criteria for an Adequate Solution Theodicy vs. Defense Part I: Developing the Problem Chapter One: The Problem of Justice, The Problem of Love The Problem of Justice An Uncommon Solution: Shedd The Popular Response: Aquinas A Revised Version of the Response Problems for the Revised Response An Alternative Strategy: Denying that God Has Obligations Remaining Options The Problem of Love Chapter Two: The Doxastic Problem Preliminaries Doxastic Problems The Problem of Coercion The Problem of Neighbor Love The Problem of Worship The Problem of Religious Motivation The Problem of Despair Addendum: Additional Problems for Calvinists and Other Theological Determinists The Extreme Version of the Problem of Justice The Extreme Version of the Problem of Love Further Doxastic Problems The Problem of Faith The Problem of Hope Part II: The Standard Options Chapter Three: Traditionalism and Universalism Traditionalism Universalism The Case for Universalism Talbott on Love and Justice Adams on Horrendous Evil and the Metaphysical "Size Gap" Chapter Four: Providence, Freedom, and God's Creation of the Damned The Free Will Argument against Universalism Molinism and Universalism Why Does God Create the Damned? Molinist Anti-Universalism (M-AU) A Nonstandard Account of Providence: McCann Open Theist Anti-Universalism (OT-AU) The Tradition Trilemma Why Not Universalism? Chapter Five: Annihilationism Internal Disputes Retributive Annihilationism Non-Retributive Annihilationism Natural Consequence Annihilationism (NCA) Objections to NCA Free Will Annihilationism (FWA) Objections to FWA Chapter Six: The Choice Model The Direct Form Help from Kierkegaard The Role of Self-Deception The Indirect Form More Help from Kierkegaard Why Not Annihilation? Answer #1: Annihilation as Undesirable to the Damned Answer #2: Annihilation as Indefeasibly Bad Answer #3: The Soul as Inherently Indestructible Answer #4: Humans as Essentially Immortal In Defense of the Kierkegaardian Answer Why Not the Choice Model? Part III: The Divine Presence Model Chapter Seven: Developing an Alternative to the Standard Options Return to the Tripartite Structure Introducing the Divine Presence Model Help from Eastern Orthodoxy Divine Omnipresence and Divine Hiddenness Divine Hiddenness as Necessary for Human Freedom Divine Hiddenness as a Natural Consequence of Sin Hiddenness on the Divine Presence Model The Phenomenology of Religious Experience and the Fear of the Lord Retribution and Eternal Punishment Chapter Eight: Objections, Replies, and Further Refinements Addressing Standard and Shared Problems Solutions in Common with the Choice Model A (Possible) Point of Difference Why Not Annihilation? Why Not Eternal Divine Hiddenness? Hybrid Views Baker Lewis Kvanvig Walls Talbott The Inescapable Love of God Conclusion Beyond the Day of Judgment Appendix: Is the Divine Presence Model Biblical? The Scriptural Record of Close Encounters with God Christ the Way Unveiling the Heart The Face of God Christ the Truth Jesus and the Pharisees Light and Darkness Does Christ Come to Judge, or Not? Christ the Life The Curse of Death The Destruction of Hades The River of Fire and the River of Life Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSince the Origin of Species was first published, Darwinism has been attacked for undermining traditional morality. In particular, because it emphasizes the kinship between humans and other animals, Darwinism seems incompatible with the traditional idea of human dignity - that human life has a special value, while other animals may be sacrificed for any purpose that humans choose. This book argues that Darwinism does undermine the traditional idea of human dignity; however, this is not a reason for rejecting Darwin''s outlook. Instead, it is a reason for rejecting human dignity and replacing it with a better moral view, a more enlightened ethic regarding both the value of human life and our treatment of nonhuman animals. This important book, presenting Darwin''s scientific and non-scientific views as one united theory, will stimulate all those interested in evolution, morality, religion, and animal rights to re-examine their views.Trade Review`Professor Rachel's study of ethics and evolution is an example of polemical writing at its best.' The Tablet`James Rachels can take a complex theory or tangled issue and make it lucid. The book is philosophically sophisticated, yet never obscure, pedantic, or muddled. The book should appeal to any thinking person who wishes to become better informed on the best current philosophical thought from the "animal rights" point of view.' Journal of Value Inquiry'he presents a stimulating argument in lucid prose, and demonstrates without question the relevance of Darwinian theory for ethics' Times Higher Education Supplement'A remarkably clear, straightforward, and brief discussion ... of the implications of Darwinism for animal rights.' Kirkus Reviews'lucid, thoughtful and well argued book ... Forceful, but never strident, it offers a moral perspective which thoughtful people, inside and outside the laboratory, would do well to ponder.' Philip Kitcher, University of California at San Diego, Nature'In his most engaging way, James Rachels ... shows how Darwinism undermines the traditional idea of human superiority, producing a book that is a powerful weapon in the war against speciesism.' RSPCA Journal'this ambitious book, like Rachels' previous books, is easy to read and is accessible to the many who want to know about how evolutionary biology, cognitive ethology and philosophy inform and motivate each other in coming to terms with many of the complex issues surrounding the treatment of non-humans by humans. But just because Created From Animals is an easy read, this does not mean that Rachels compromises quality. Rachels should be congratulated for his forthright, clear, and novel presentation, and also his willingness to argue openly a case that many would rather see argued behind closed doors or not at all.' Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado, Environmental Values vol.1, no.1'His style is pleasant, thoughtful, fair-minded and well-argued; and if the Christian reader is not convinced of the case Dr Rachels espouses he will nevertheless find this an interesting, instructive and rewarding study. ... this is a fascinating and worthwhile book.' Science & Christian Belief'it provides an excellent introduction to the whole of Darwin's life and thought' Ethology Ecology & Evolution 4: 1992`Rachels spells out some practical consequences of abandoning special category status for human beings.' The Heythrop Journal'His description of the development of Darwin's ideas about the mechanism of evolution is one of the best succinct summaries I have read.' Eugenie C. Scott, National Center for Science Education, Inc, Journal of Human Evolution (1993) 24Table of ContentsDarwin's discovery; how evolution and ethics might be related; must a Darwinian be sceptical about religion?; how different are humans from other animals?; morality without the idea that humans are special.

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Trade Review'it is comprehensive, systematic, argued with a rigour and scrupulousness unmatched, let alone surpassed, in any comparable study' Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a new argument attacking the view that if the foetus has the moral standing of a person it has a right to life and abortion is impermissible. Most discussion of abortion has assumed that this premise is correct, and so has focused on the question of the personhood of the foetus. Frances Kamm, however, argues that abortion can be moral even if the foetus is indeed a person.Trade ReviewKamm is probably the most sophisticated deontologist writing on normative issues today ... Kamm's discussion is a major contribution to the literature. * Shelly Kagan, University of Illinois *

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Book SynopsisThis volume brings together Martha Nussbaum''s published papers, some revised for this collection, on the relationship between literature and philosophy, especially moral philosophy. It also includes two new essays and a substantial Introduction.The papers, many of them previously not readily available to non-specialist readers, explore such fundamental issues as the relationship between style and content in the exploration of ethical questions; the nature of ethical attention and ethical knowledge and their relationship to written forms and style; and the role of the emotions in deliberation and self-knowledge. The author investigates and defends a conception of ethical understanding which involves emotional as well as intellectual activity, and which gives a certain type of priority to the perception of particular people and situations rather than to abstract rule.Trade ReviewThe lucid and penetrating essays in Love's Knowledge demonstrate that Martha Nussbaum is the finest philosophic mind of her generation. * Philosophy and Literature *one of the most original books published [in 1991], a hugely stimulating read, which returns us with thoughts refreshed to some of our best-loved authors and brings philosophy back to earth in the process * Mark Archer, Observer *Table of Contents1: Introduction: Form and Content, Philosophy and Literature 2: The Discernment of Perception: An Aristotelian Conception of Private and Public Rationality 3: Plato on Commensurability and Desire 4: Flawed Crystals: James's The Golden Bowl and Literature as Moral Philosophy 5: "Finely Aware and Richly Responsible": Literature and the Moral Imagination 6: Perceptive Equilibrium: Literary Theory and Ethical Theory 7: Perception and Revolution: The Princess Casamassima and the Political Imagination 8: Sophistry About Conventions 9: Reading for Life 10: Fictions of the Soul 11: Love's Knowledge 12: Narrative Emotions: Beckett's Geneology of Love 13: Love and the Individual: Romantic Rightness and Platonic Aspiration 14: Steerforth's Arm: Love and the Moral Point of View 15: Transcending Humanity

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Book SynopsisThis volume collects together some influential essays in which Simon Blackburn explores one of the most profound and fertile of philosophical problems: the way in which our judgements relate to the world. This debate has centered on realism, or the view that what we say is validated by the way things stand in the world, and a variety of oppositions to it. Prominent among the latter are expressive and projective theories, but also a relaxed pluralism that discourages the view that there are substantial issues at stake. The figure of the `quasi-realist'' dramatizes the difficulty of conducting these debates. Typically philosophers thinking of themselves as realists will believe that they alone can give a proper or literal account of some of our attachments - to truth, to facts, to the independent world, to knowledge, and to certainty. The quasi-realist challenge, developed by Blackburn in this volume, is that we can have those attachments without any metaphysic that deserves calling realTrade Review`The papers span nearly twenty years, and although some are well known, it is useful to have them in one volume ... a rich field.' * Times Literary Supplement *All these essays have been published previously, and everyone in the field will be glad to have them conveniently collected. They well display their author's virtues in advancing philosophical debate...He is alwya candid rather than cagey, laying his cards on the table and not pretending to a stronger hand than he can display.He reminds us that the truth is to be sought in the open air of frank discussion and not in the hermetic chambers of dominant fashion. * Utilitas *

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Book SynopsisThis book constructs a virtue-based ethics for medicine and health care. Beginning with the problem of relating virtues to principles, the authors develop a theory that this linkage lies in the goals of medicine and the nature of medical practice as a moral community. Specific virtues such as trust, compassion, prudence, justice, courage, temperance, and self-effacement are discussed in separate chapters. The book ends by examining how a virtue-based ethic of medicine makes a difference in analysing problems like caring for the poor, research on human subjects, whether the medical virtues can be taught in professional training, and how a refurbished philosophy of medicine can enhance medicine and health care in the future.Trade Review...the book is impressive and important because it attempts to systematize the insights of virtue theory and medical ethics and to place these insights into the larger framework of moral philosophy. * Theoretical Medicine *This provocative and articulate study is a significant contribution to the literature. It should certainly be read by every serious physician and ethicist. * Richard M. Zaner, Vanderbilt University, Academic Medicine, Volume 69, Number 9, September 1994 *Pellegrino and Thomasma are arguably among the most influential authors now writing about the moral nature of physicianhood. * Jonathan B. Imber, Wellesley College, New England Journal of Medicine, July 1994 *The authors present an excellent introduction to current tides in bioethics ... An interesting, well-reasoned and well-written work with insight. Upper-division undergraduate through professional. * J.E. Allen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Choice, Sep '94 *a lucid, thoughtful, and impressively organized description of the philosophical foundation of virtue-based ethics ... The Virtues in Medical Practice is a splendid book. It reads well; it is not pedantic; it is intellectually stimulating and morally refreshing; it expands our intellectual horizons; it illuminates our shortcomings and nourishes our capabilities without a trace of condescension or pontification. I urge every physician who has concerns about the moral climate of our troubled ethical scene to read this treatise. He or she will be comforted and educated by such an effort. * Bernard H. Adelson, JAMA, October 1994, Vol. 272, No.16 *The main message of the book is its call for the resuscitation of virtue and the restoration of the moral force of the medical community. * Joanna Pasek, Journal of Medical Ethics 1995, 21 *a book to be warmly recommended to all students of medical ethics and anyone else serially interested in the subject * Agneta Sutton, Ethics & Medicine 1995 11.2 *Table of ContentsPART I: Theory 1: Virtue Theory 2: The Link Between Virtues, Principles, Duties 3: Medicine as a Moral Community 4: The Ends of Medicine and its Virtues PART II: The Virtues in Medicine 5: Fidelity to Trust 6: Compassion 7: Phronesis: The Indispensable Virtue of Medicine 8: Justice 9: Fortitude 10: Temperance 11: Integrity 12: Self-Effacement PART III: The Practice of Virtue 13: How Does Virtue Make a Difference? 14: Can the Medical Virtues be Taught? 15: Postscript: An Integral Medical Ethics

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Book SynopsisThis book expounds and examines Plato''s answer to the normative question, `how ought we to live?'' It discusses Plato''s conception of the virtues; his views about the connection between these and happiness; and the account of reason, desire, and motivation that underlies his arguments about the virtues. Irwin traces the development of Plato''s moral philosophy, from the Socratic dialogues to its fullest exposition in the Republic. He discusses Plato''s reasons for abandoning or modifying some aspects of Socratic ethics, and for believing that he preserves Socrates'' essential insights. A brief and selective discussion of the Statesmen, Philebus, and Laws is included. Plato''s answer to the epistemological question `how can we know how we ought to live?'' is also discussed. His views on knowledge, belief, and inquiry, and his theory of forms, are examined in so far as they are relevant to his ethical views. This book expands the discussion in Plato''s Moral Theory (OUP, 1977) to proTrade ReviewIrwin has now provided us with one detailed, synoptic view of Plato's ethics which will no doubt stimulate as much debate and discussion as the original PMT. * Phronesis *Plato's Ethics ... adds a new and deep consideration of the Republic as well as some short chapters on the later dialogues ... Irwin has written a huge book ... clever and rewarding in its eye for detail, in its minute treatment of individual passages. * Times Literary Supplement *brilliant book ... Professor Irwin has an awe inspiring ability to develop illuminating and subtle lines of interpretation and argument, and there is no doubt that anyone seriously interested in Plato's ethics will be studying and learning from his book for years to come. This is a rich work. * Robert Heinaman, University College, London, Mind, Vol. 106, No. 42, Jan '97 *

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Book SynopsisThe De Malo represents some of Aquinas'' most mature thinking on goodness, badness, and human agency. In it he examines the full range of questions associated with evil: its origin, its nature, its relation to good, and its compatability with the existence of an omnipotent, benevolent God. This edition offers Richard Regan''s new, clear readable English translation, based on the Leonine Commission''s authoritative edition of the Latin text. Brian Davies has provided an extensive introduction and notes. (Please note: this edition does not include the Latin text).Trade ReviewRegan's translation is as felicitous and faithful as can be. * Theological Studies *

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