Ethics and moral philosophy Books
Oxford University Press, USA Normative Bedrock ResponseDependence Rationality and Reasons
Book SynopsisJoshua Gert presents an original and ambitious theory of the normative. Expressivism and non-reductive realism represent two very widely separated poles in contemporary discussions of normativity. But the domain of the normative is both large and diverse; it includes, for example, the harmful, the fun, the beautiful, the wrong, and the rational. It would be extremely surprising if either expressivism or non-reductive realism managed to capture all--or even the most important--phenomena associated with all of these notions. Normative Bedrock defends a response-dependent account of the normative that accommodates the kind of variation in response that some non-reductive realists downplay or ignore, but that also allows for the sort of straightforward talk of normative properties, normative truth, and substantive normative disagreement that expressivists have had a hard time respecting.One of the distinctive features of Gert''s approach is his reliance, throughout, on an analogy between colour properties and normative properties. He argues that the appropriate response to a given instance of a normative property may often depend significantly on the perspective one takes on that instance: for example, whether one views it as past or future. Another distinctive feature of Normative Bedrock is its focus on the basic normative property of practical irrationality, rather than on the notion of a normative reason or the notion of the good. This simple shift of focus allow for a more satisfying account of the link between reasons and motivation, and helps to explain why and how some reasons can justify far more than they can require, and why we therefore need two strength values to characterize the normative capacities of practical reasons.
£74.10
Oxford University Press The Inquiring Mind
Book SynopsisThe Inquiring Mind is a new contribution to ''responsibilist'' or character-based virtue-epistemology--an approach to epistemology in which intellectual character traits like open-mindedness, fair-mindedness, inquisitiveness, and intellectual courage, rigor, and generosity are given a central and fundamental role. Jason Baehr provides an accessible introduction to virtue epistemology and intellectual virtues, and establishes two main goals. The first is to shed light on the nature and structure of intellectual virtues and their role in the cognitive economy. To this end, he examines the difference between intellectual virtues and intellectual faculties, talents, temperaments, and skills, develops a ''personal worth'' account of the nature of an intellectual virtue, contrasts this account with several others, and provides analyses of two individual virtues: namely, open-mindedness and intellectual courage. The second main goal is to account for the role that reflection on intellectual cTrade ReviewReview from previous edition This is an excellent book. Baehr proposes an interesting and original account of the proper goals of a virtue theory for epistemology and makes substantive progress toward developing a theory of his own. The quality of argument is very high and Baehr's writing is elegant and clear. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *It makes both a necessary read for the specialist and a suitable text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses. Baehrs gift for exposition allows one easily to grasp the state of various questions; his arguments, while always cogent, seldom aim to be knockdown, leaving much for the next generation of virtue epistemologists to ponder. * James A. Montmarquet, Ethics *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Intellectual Virtues ; 3. Knowledge and Intellectual Virtue ; 4. Virtue and Character in Reliabilism ; 5. Evidentialism, Vice, and Virtue ; 6. A Personal Worth Conception of Intellectual Virtue ; 7. The Personal Worth Conception and Its Rivals ; 8. Open-Mindedness ; 9. Intellectual Courage ; 10. The Status and Future of Character-Based Virtue Epistemology ; Appendix: On the Distinction between Intellectual and Moral Virtues ; References ; Index
£32.29
Oxford University Press Intergenerational Justice
Book SynopsisIs it fair to leave the next generation a public debt? Is it defensible to impose legal rules on them through constitutional constraints? From combating climate change to ensuring proper funding for future pensions, concerns about ethics between generations are everywhere. In this volume sixteen philosophers explore intergenerational justice. Part One examines the ways in which various theories of justice look at the matter. These include libertarian, Rawlsian, sufficientarian, contractarian, communitarian, Marxian and reciprocity-based approaches. In Part Two, the authors look more specifically at issues relevant to each of these theories, such as motivation to act fairly towards future generations, the population dimension, the formation of preferences through education and how they impact on our intergenerational obligations, and whether it is fair to rely on constitutional devices.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition a comprehensive work that will be useful to all scholars with an interest in modern population ethics ... the book constitutes a very significant contribution to an overall topic which - due to the fact that it is both theoretically challenging and practically highly pertinent - seems destined to constitute a continuously expanding sub-field of ethics. * Economics and Philosophy *a stimulating book ... the essays collected offer a high-quality analysis of the various problems underpinning intergenerational justice. * Antoine Verret-Hamelin, Recension DOuvraçe *Table of ContentsPART I : THEORIES; PART II : SPECIFIC ISSUES
£44.17
Oxford University Press Morality Authority and Law
Book SynopsisStephen Darwall presents a series of essays that explore the view that central moral concepts are irreducibly second-personal, in that they entail mutual accountability and the authority to address demands. He illustrates the power of the second-personal framework to illuminate a wide variety of issues in moral, political, and legal philosophy. Section I concerns morality: its distinctiveness among normative concepts; the metaethics of ''bipolar obligations'' (owed to someone); the relation between moral obligation''s form and the substance of our obligations; whether the fact that an action is wrong is itself a reason against action (as opposed to simply entailing that sufficient moral reasons independently exist); and whether morality requires general principles or might be irreducibly particularistic. Section II consists of two essays on autonomy: one discussing the relation between Kant''s ''autonomy of the will'' and the right to autonomy, and another arguing that what makes an agTable of ContentsIntroduction ; I: MORALITY ; 1. Morality's Distinctiveness ; 2. Bipolar Obligation ; 3. Moral Obligation: Form and Substance ; 4. 'But It Would Be Wrong' ; 5. Morality and Principle ; II: AUTONOMY ; 6. Because I Want It ; 7. The Value of Autonomy and Autonomy of the Will ; III: AUTHORITY AND LAW ; 8. Authority and Second-Personal Reasons for Acting ; 9. Authority and Reasons: Exclusionary and Second Personal ; 10. Law and the Second-Person Standpoint ; 11. Civil Recourse as Mutual Accountability (co-authored with Julian Darwall) ; Works Cited ; Index
£39.89
Oxford University Press The Domain of Reasons
Book SynopsisThis book is about normativity and reasons. By the end, however, the subject becomes the relation between self, thought, and world. If we understand normativity, we are on the road to understanding this relation. John Skorupski argues that all normative properties are reducible to reason relations, so that the sole normative ingredient in any normative concept is the concept of a reason. This is a concept fundamental to all thought. It is pervasive (actions, beliefs, and sentiments all fall within its range), primitive (all other normative concepts are reducible to it), and constitutive of the idea of thought itself. Thinking is sensitivity to reasons. Thought in the full sense of autonomous cognition is possible only for a being sensitive to reasons and capable of deliberating about them. In Part II of the book Skorupski examines epistemic reasons, and shows that aprioricity, necessity, evidence, and probability, which may not seem to be normative at all, are in fact normative conceptTrade ReviewReview from previous edition as historically rich as it is philosophically illuminating ... on a par with the most significant books on reasons, normativity and the mind published in recent years. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsPART ONE THE STRUCTURE OF NORMATIVE CONCEPTS; PART TWO EPISTEMIC REASONS; PART THREE EVALUATIVE AND PRACTICAL REASONS; PART FOUR THE NORMATIVE VIEW
£53.20
Oxford University Press Know How
Book SynopsisThe goal of inquiry is to acquire knowledge of truths about the world. In this book, Jason Stanley argues that knowing how to do something amounts to knowing a truth about the world. When you learned how to swim, what happened is that you learned some truths about swimming. Knowledge of these truths is what gave you knowledge of how to swim. Something similar occurred with every other activity that you now know how to do, such as riding a bicycle or cooking a meal. Of course, when you learned how to swim, you didn''t learn just any truth about swimming. You learned a special kind of truth about swimming, one that answers the question, ''How could you swim?'' Know How develops an account of the kinds of answers to questions, knowledge of which explains skilled action. Drawing on work in epistemology, philosophy of mind, ethics, action theory, philosophy of language, linguistic semantics, and cognitive neuroscience, Stanley presents a powerful case that it is our success as inquirers thaTrade Reviewrich and insightful * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *a remarkable book * Mark Schroeder, University of Southern California *Stanleys work presents a diligent analysis of knowledge how, viewed as a variety of knowledge that. * Marek Lechniak, Forum Philosophicum *Table of ContentsContents ; 1. Ryle on Knowing How ; 2. Knowledge-wh ; 3. PRO and the Representation of First-Person Thought ; 4. Ways of Thinking ; 5. Knowledge How ; 6. Ascribing Knowledge How ; 7. The Cognitive Science of Practical Knowledge ; 8. Knowledge Justified ; Bibliography ; Index
£29.92
Oxford University Press Taking Morality Seriously
Book SynopsisIn Taking Morality Seriously: A Defense of Robust Realism David Enoch develops, argues for, and defends a strongly realist and objectivist view of ethics and normativity more broadly. This view--according to which there are perfectly objective, universal, moral and other normative truths that are not in any way reducible to other, natural truths--is familiar, but this book is the first in-detail development of the positive motivations for the view into reasonably precise arguments. And when the book turns defensive--defending Robust Realism against traditional objections--it mobilizes the original positive arguments for the view to help with fending off the objections.The main underlying motivation for Robust Realism developed in the book is that no other metaethical view can vindicate our taking morality seriously. The positive arguments developed here--the argument from the deliberative indispensability of normative truths, and the argument from the moral implications of metaethical Trade ReviewDavid Enoch's new book ... presents a highly sophisticated case for non-naturalism, brimming with philosophical imagination. ... i greatly admire it. The book beautifully blends philosophical creativity, boldness, and craftsmanship, all the while being appropriately modest about the force of its arguments. Meta-ethics is presently flourishing because of work such as this. * Terence Cuneo, Mind *Table of Contents1. The View, The Motivation, The Book ; 2. The Argument from the Moral Implications of Objectivity (or Lack Thereof) ; 3. The Argument from the Deliberative Indispensability of Irreducibly Normative Truths ; 4. And Now, Robust Metaethical Realism ; 5. Doing with Less ; 6. Metaphysics ; 7. Epistemology ; 8. Disagreement ; 9. Motivation ; 10. Tallying Plausibility Points ; Bibliography ; Index
£35.62
Oxford University Press Making Sense of Freedom and Responsibility
Book SynopsisDana Kay Nelkin presents a simple and natural account of freedom and moral responsibility which responds to the great variety of challenges to the idea that we are free and responsible, before ultimately reaffirming our conception of ourselves as agents. Making Sense of Freedom and Responsibility begins with a defense of the rational abilities view, according to which one is responsible for an action if and only if one acts with the ability to recognize and act for good reasons. The view is compatibilist?that is, on the view defended, responsibility is compatible with determinism?and one of its striking features is a certain asymmetry: it requires the ability to do otherwise for responsibility when actions are blameworthy, but not when they are praiseworthy. In defending and elaborating the view, Nelkin questions long-held assumptions such as those concerning the relation between fairness and blame and the nature of so-called reactive attitudes such as resentment and forgiveness. Her aTrade Reviewthis profound book ... is exemplary for its rigorous examination and thought-provoking ideas and this is a must read for philosophy students and those interested in the theories of human freedom and responsibility. * Metapsychology Online Reviews *Nelkins discussions are interesting and clear. * Brian Jonathan Garrett, Philosophy in Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. A Rational Abilities View of Responsibility ; 2. Deep Assessment and Good Action ; 3. Abilities ; 4. A Compatibilist Account of Agent Causation ; 5. A Rationale for the Rational Abilities View: Praise, Blame, and the Ought Implies Can Principle ; 6. Deliberation and Alternatives ; 7. The Sense of Freedom, or Acting under the Idea of Freedom ; Concluding Thoughts ; Bibliography ; Index
£35.62
Oxford University Press From Normativity to Responsibility
Book SynopsisWhat are our duties or rights? How should we act? What are we responsible for? How do we determine the answers to these questions? Joseph Raz examines and explains the philosophical issues underlying these everyday quandaries. He explores the nature of normativity--namely, the fact that we believe and feel we should behave in certain ways, the reasoning behind certain beliefs and emotions, and various basic features of making decisions about what to do. He goes on to consider when we are responsible for our actions and omissions, and offers a novel account of responsibility. We can think of responsibility for unjustified actions or attitudes as a precondition of the blameworthiness of a person for an attitude or an action, or perhaps for a whole set of actions, intentions, or beliefs. Responsibility for justified actions or attitudes may be a precondition of praiseworthiness. Either way responsibility may point to further consequences of being justified or unjustified, rational or not.Trade Reviewbreathtaking in its scope, its depth, and, most importantly, its brilliance. * The Canadian Journal of Law & Jurisprudence *there is something philosophically subtle and genuinely insightful about Raz's suggestive account of the relationship of our agency to the world. * Manuel Vargas, An International Journal of Legal and Political Thought *Table of Contents1. The Hope ; PART ONE: REGARDING NORMATIVITY ; 2. Practical Reasons: Explanatory and Normative ; 3. Reasons: Practical and Adaptive ; 4. The Guise of the Good ; 5. Reason, Rationality & Normativity ; PART TWO: REGARDING PRACTICAL REASONING ; 6. Epistemic Modulations ; 7. Practical Reasoning ; 8. The Myth of Instrumental Rationality ; 9. Reasons in Conflict ; 10. Numbers: With and Without Contractualism ; 11. Promoting Value? ; PART THREE: ON RESPONSIBILITY ; 12. Being in the World ; 13. Responsibility and the Negligence Standard
£33.24
Oxford University Press Kants Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals
Book SynopsisHenry E. Allison presents a comprehensive commentary on Kant''s Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals (1785). It differs from most recent commentaries in paying special attention to the structure of the work, the historical context in which it was written, and the views to which Kant was responding. Allison argues that, despite its relative brevity, the Groundwork is the single most important work in modern moral philosophy and that its significance lies mainly in two closely related factors. The first is that it is here that Kant first articulates his revolutionary principle of the autonomy of the will, that is, the paradoxical thesis that moral requirements (duties) are self-imposed and that it is only in virtue of this that they can be unconditionally binding. The second is that for Kant all other moral theories are united by the assumption that the ground of moral requirements must be located in some object of the will (the good) rather than the will itself, which Kant terms hetTrade Review[Allison's] commentary is the best ever written on the Groundwork: comprehensive, historical, original, argumentatively clear and sharp-witted, critical, very well informed about the ongoing research, stimulating, patient, and even rather close to the text ... a masterpiece. It sets a very high standard for any future work on the Groundwork and it will be hard to surpass. * Dieter Schönecker, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsPART ONE: PRELIMINARIES; PART TWO: GMS 1; PART THREE: GMS 2; PART FOUR: GMS 3
£46.54
Oxford University Press The Development of Ethics Volume 2
Book SynopsisThe Development of Ethics is a selective historical and critical study of moral philosophy in the Socratic tradition, with special attention to Aristotelian naturalism. It discusses the main topics of moral philosophy as they have developed historically, including: the human good, human nature, justice, friendship, and morality; the methods of moral inquiry; the virtues and their connexions; will, freedom, and responsibility; reason and emotion; relativism, subjectivism, and realism; the theological aspect of morality. This volume examines early modern moral philosophy from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. Volume 3 will continue the story up to Rawls''s Theory of Justice. The present volume begins with Suarez''s interpretation of Scholastic moral philosophy, and examines seventeenth- and eighteenth- century responses to the Scholastic outlook, to see how far they constitute a distinctively different conception of moral philosophy. The treatments of natural law by Grotius, HobbeTrade ReviewFor it truly is a great book, and I doubt that we will see a history of ethics similar in scope and ambition for some time to come. * Mark Eli Kalderon, Ethics *Table of Contents30. Suarez: law and obligation ; 31. Suarez: naturalism ; 32. Natural law and 'modern' moral philosophy ; 33. Grotius ; 34. Hobbes: Motives and Reasons ; 35. Hobbes: from Human Nature to Morality ; 36. Hobbes: morality ; 37. Spinoza ; 38. The 'British Moralists' ; 39. Cumberland and Maxwell ; 40. Cudworth ; 41. Locke and Natural Law ; 42. Pufendorf ; 43. Leibniz: Naturalism and Eudaemonism ; 44. Pufendorf and Natural Law ; 45. Shaftesbury ; 46. Clarke ; 47. Hutcheson: For and Against Moral Realism ; 48. Hutcheson: For and Against Utilitarianism ; 49. Balguy: a Defence of Rationalism ; 50. Balguy and Clarke: Morality and Natural Theology ; 51. Butler: Nature ; 52. Butler: Superior Principles ; 53. Butler: Naturalism and Morality ; 54. Butler: Implications of Naturalism ; 55. Hume: Nature ; 56. Hume: Passion and Reason ; 57. Hume: Errors of Objectivism ; 58. Hume: the moral sense ; 59. Hume: the Virtues ; 60. Smith ; 61. Price ; 62. Reid: action and will ; 63. Reid: knowledge and morality ; 64. Voluntarism, egoism, and utilitarianism ; 65. Rousseau
£44.64
Oxford University Press Disability and Disadvantage
Book SynopsisThis book offers a much-needed investigation of moral and political issues concerning disability, and explores how the experiences of people with disabilities can lead to reconsideration of prominent positions on normative issues. Thirteen new essays examine such topics as the concept of disability, the conditions of justice, the nature of autonomy, healthcare distribution, and reproductive choices. The contributors are Norman Daniels, Ellen Daniels Zide, Leslie P. Francis, Christie Hartley, Richard Hull, Guy Kahane, F. M. Kamm, Rosalind McDougall, Jeff McMahan, Douglas MacLean, Susannah Rose, Anita Silvers, Julian Savulescu, Lorella Terzi, David Wasserman, and Jonathan Wolff.Trade ReviewIn this thoughtfully assembled volume on philosophical issues in disability and disadvantage, editors Kimberley Brownlee and Adam Cureton have brought together an exciting mix of established and up and coming philosophers to address issues ranging from how to understand disability to whether and when to create children with disabilities * Rebecca L. Walker, Mind *Disability studies is an exciting and expanding field within philosophy and bioethics, and anyone interested in this rich area of research will find rewarding reading in this volume * Jeffrey Blustein, Journal of Moral Philosophy *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The welfarist account of disability ; 2. Disability, adaptation and inclusion ; 3. Vagaries of the natural lottery? Human diversity, disability and justice: A capability perspective ; 4. Disability among equals ; 5. An inclusive contractualism: Obligations to the mentally disabled* ; 6. No talent? Beyond the worst off!: A diverse theory of justice for disability ; 7. Understanding Autonomy in Light of Intellectual Disability ; 8. Respect Without Reason: Relating to Alzheimer's ; 9. Radical cognitive limitation ; 10. Disability, discrimination and irrelevant goods ; 11. Ethical constraints on allowing or causing the existence of people with disabilities ; 12. Impairment, flourishing and the moral nature of parenthood ; 13. Projected disability and parental responsibilities
£41.79
Oxford University Press Practical Intelligence and the Virtues
Book SynopsisOne of the most important developments in modern moral philosophy is the resurgence of interest in the virtues. In this new book, Daniel Russell explores two important hopes for such an approach to moral thought: that starting from the virtues should cast light on what makes an action right, and that notions like character, virtue, and vice should yield a plausible picture of human psychology. Russell argues that the key to each of these hopes is an understanding of the cognitive and deliberative skills involved in the virtues. If right action is defined in terms of acting generously or kindly, then these virtues must involve skills for determining what the kind or generous thing to do would be on a given occasion. Likewise, Russell argues that understanding virtuous action as the intelligent pursuit of virtuous goals yields a promising picture of the psychology of virtue. This book develops an Aristotelian account of the virtue of practical intelligence or ''phronesis''--an excellenceTable of ContentsPART 1. PHRONESIS, VIRTUE, AND RIGHT ACTION; PART 2. THE ENUMERATION PROBLEM; PART 3. SITUATIONS, DISPOSITIONS, AND VIRTUES; PART 4. DEFENDING HARD VIRTUE THEORY
£43.22
Oxford University Press Debating the Ethics of Immigration Is There a Right to Exclude Debating Ethics
Book SynopsisDo states have the right to prevent potential immigrants from crossing their borders, or should people have the freedom to migrate and settle wherever they wish? Christopher Heath Wellman and Phillip Cole develop and defend opposing answers to this timely and important question. Appealing to the right to freedom of association, Wellman contends that legitimate states have broad discretion to exclude potential immigrants, even those who desperately seek to enter. Against this, Cole argues that the commitment to the moral equality of all human beings - which legitimate states can be expected to hold - means national borders must be open: equal respect requires equal access, both to territory and membership; and that the idea of open borders is less radical than it seems when we consider how many territorial and community boundaries have this open nature. In addition to engaging with each other''s arguments, Wellman and Cole address a range of central questions and prominent positions on this topic. The authors therefore provide a critical overview of the major contributions to the ethics of migration, as well as developing original, provocative positions of their own.Trade ReviewDrawing upon a growing body of literature in this field and using analogy to support their own and contest each others arguments, the book is accessible and provocative, providing both a useful introduction to the issues for undergraduates, but also of interest to those with a more profound expertise in this topical area. * Caryl Thompson, Political Studies Review, 28/10/2013. *Outstanding Academic Titles 2012, as selected by CHOICE Magazine (December 2012). * CHOICE *Succeed[s] in exploring the moral dilemmas surrounding immigration in an accessible way. The book consists of two essays: Wellman makes the case for the right to exclude, Cole for a human right to cross national borders. Their study shows vividly how a profound difference of opinion can be clarified by reasoned dialogue, which makes it a lesson in philosophy as democracy. * Paul Scheffer, Times Higher Education *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION ; FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND THE RIGHT TO EXCLUDE ; In Defense of the Right to Exclude ; The Egalitarian Case for Open Borders ; The Libertarian Case for Open Borders ; The Democratic Case for Open Borders ; The Utilitarian Case for Open Borders ; Refugees ; Toward an International Institution with Authority of Immigration ; Guest Workers ; Selection Criteria ; Conclusion ; OPEN BORDERS: AN ETHICAL DEFENCE ; The Shape of the Debate ; The Case Against the Right to Exclude ; Wellman on Freedom of Association ; Consequentialist Concerns ; Towards a Right to Mobility ; Conclusion ; Index
£36.09
Oxford University Press, USA Good God
Book SynopsisMoral arguments for God''s existence have undergone something of a resurgence in recent years. For quite a while they were out of vogue for a variety of reasons, but recent advances in the philosophy of language and philosophical and natural theology have reinvigorated moral apologetics. This is the first book to consolidate these gains into one coherent treatment, which will rigorously demonstrate to a wide readership how effectively various objections to moral apologetics have been answered. The authors show how strides in answering the problem of evil, the Euthyphro Dilemma, and epistemic vacuity and arbitrariness challenges to theistic ethics make possible a compelling cumulative moral argument that can greatly contribute to the rational case for God''s existence--and God''s goodness. The authors hope to reach a readership of not just philosophers, apologists, and theologians, but bright college students up through graduate school and beyond. Christians and non-Christians alike, thTrade Reviewsolid philosophical quality * John Cottingham, The TLS *Table of ContentsForeword by Thomas V. Morris ; Introduction ; 1. Moral Apologia ; 2. The Euthyphro Dilemma ; 3. Naming the Whirlwind ; 4. A Reformed Tradition Not Quite Right ; 5. God and Goodness ; 6. Divine Command Theory ; 7. Abhorrent Commands ; 8. The Problem of Evil ; 9. Knowing God's Will ; 10. Conclusion Eternity ; Appendix A: Answering the Extended Arbitrariness Objection to Divine Command Theory ; Appendix B: Outrageous Evil and the Hope of Healing ; Index
£34.67
Oxford University Press, USA Reasons and Recognition
Book SynopsisFor close to forty years now T.M. Scanlon has been one of the most important contributors to moral and political philosophy in the Anglo-American world. Through both his writing and his teaching, he has played a central role in shaping the questions with which research in moral and political philosophy now grapples. Reasons and Recognition brings together fourteen new papers on an array of topics from the many areas to which Scanlon has made path-breaking contributions, each of which develops a distinctive and independent position while critically engaging with central themes from Scanlon''s own work in the area. Contributors include well-known senior figures in moral and political philosophy as well as important younger scholars whose work is just beginning to gain wider recognition. Taken together, these papers make evident the scope and lasting interest of Scanlon''s contributions to moral and political philosophy while contributing to a deeper understanding of the issues addressed Table of ContentsPREFACE; CONTRIBUTORS; I. REASON, VALUE, AND DESIRE; II. ETHICAL THEMES: CONTRACTUALISM, PROMISSORY OBLIGATION, AND TOLERANCE; III. POLITICAL THEMES: CONSERVATISM, JUSTICE, AND PUBLIC REASON; IV. RESPONSIBILITY
£92.15
Oxford University Press Making Amends
Book SynopsisCan wrongs be righted? Can we make up for our misdeeds, or does the impossibility of changing the past mean that we remain permanently guilty? While atonement is traditionally considered a theological topic, Making Amends uses the resources of secular moral philosophy to explore the possibility of correcting the wrongs we do to one another.Philosophers generally approach the problem of past wrongdoing from the point of view of either a judge or a victim. They assume that wrongdoing can only be resolved through punishment or forgiveness. But this book explores the responses that wrongdoers can and should make to their own misdeeds, responses such as apology, repentance, reparations, and self-punishment. Making Amends explores the possibility of atonement in a broad spectrum of contexts--from cases of relatively minor wrongs in personal relationships, to crimes, to the historical injustices of our political and religious communities. It argues that wrongdoers often have the ability to eaTrade ReviewRadzik expertly and critically examines theories of atonement as moral transformation and as debt repayment * Charles L. Grisworld, Times Literary Supplement *Linda Radzik makes a valuable contribution to a small, but important and rapidly growing body of philosophy on the aftermath of wrongdoing ... highly engaging at the levels of both theorizing and moralizing, and I can hardly do justice to the range of ideas and questions Radzik raises. * Adrienne M. Martin, Mind *Table of ContentsNOTES; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX
£42.74
Oxford University Press Following the Rules
Book SynopsisFor centuries, philosophers have been puzzled by the fact that people often respect moral obligations as a matter of principle, setting aside considerations of self-interest. In more recent years, social scientists have been puzzled by the more general phenomenon of rule-following, the fact that people often abide by social norms even when doing so produces undesirable consequences. Experimental game theorists have demonstrated conclusively that the old-fashioned picture of economic man, constantly reoptimizing in order to maximize utility in all circumstances, cannot provide adequate foundations for a general theory of rational action. The dominant response, however, has been a slide toward irrationalism. If people are ignoring the consequences of their actions, it is claimed, it must be because they are making some sort of a mistake. In Following the Rules, Joseph Heath attempts to reverse this trend, by showing how rule-following can be understood as an essential element of rationalTrade ReviewJoseph Heath seeks to resolve one of the biggest questions, or clusters of questions, in contemporary social theory, moral philosophy, and the theory of practical rationality. In the course of developing and defending his position, he touches on many of the central debates in these fields as well as in the philosophy of mind, evolutionary theory and psychology, metaethics, and decision and game theory. Following the Rules is persuasively written and will attract a lot of attention. It is an important contribution to our understanding of the controversies in question. * Christopher Morris, Department of Philosophy, University of Maryland *A well-reasoned and well-argued book. * Peter Stone, Department of Political Science, Stanford University *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Instrumental rationality ; 2. Social order ; 3. Deontic constraint ; 4. Intentional states ; 5. Preference neocognitivism ; 6. A naturalistic perspective ; 7. Transcendental necessity ; 8. Weakness of will ; 9. Normative ethics ; Conclusion
£42.74
Oxford University Press Minimizing Marriage
Book SynopsisEven in secular and civil contexts, marriage retains sacramental connotations. Yet what moral significance does it have? This book examines its morally salient features - promise, commitment, care, and contract - with surprising results. In Part One, De-Moralizing Marriage, essays on promise and commitment argue that we cannot promise to love and so wedding vows are (mostly) failed promises, and that marriage may be a poor commitment strategy. The book contends with the most influential philosophical accounts of the moral value of marriage to argue that marriage has no inherent moral significance. Further, the special value accorded marriage sustains amatonormative discrimination - discrimination against non-amorous or non-exclusive caring relationships such as friendships, adult care networks, polyamorous groups, or urban tribes. The discussion raises issues of independent interest for the moral philosopher such as the possibilities and bounds of interpersonal moral obligations and thTrade ReviewThis is an important book, a meticulous, thorough, and innovative work of moral and political philosophy applied to a pressing contemporary dilemma. ... It is one of the most rigorous, comprehensive, and compelling political liberal treatments of the marriage question out there if not the best. * Tamara Metz, Social Theory and Practice *provides fresh insight into a controversial topic and makes bold but thoughtful proposals that deserve consideration. * Natasha McKeever, Res Publica *Brake's clearly argued thesis is a powerful alternative to more standard feminist views that would eliminate marriage as an institution. The author makes a very important contribution to all aspects of the current marriage debates. Highly recommended * CHOICE *This a terrific book for anyone interested in "what happens next" in the field of marriage law. It is provocative, clear in its argument, well-grounded philosophically, and engages a wide range of recent books and articles on marriage. It aims at being controversial, and it succeeds. ... Brake sharpens understanding of the issues and possible paths forward in the ongoing debates about marriage and family law. * Mary L Shanley, TPM *This is an engaging, stimulating and provoking work of political and ethical philosophy that approaches its central issue from a number of angles. * Ruth Abbey, Philosophy in Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Marriage and Philosophy ; Part One. De-Moralizing Marriage ; 1. The Marriage Promise: Is Divorce Promise-Breaking? ; 2. How to Commit Marriage: A Conceptual Guide ; 3. Marriage, Sex, and Morals ; 4. Special Treatment for Lovers: Marriage, Care, and Amatonormativity ; Part Two: Democratizing Marriage ; 5. Critiques of Marriage: An Essentially Unjust Institution? ; 6. Defining Marriage: Political Liberalism and the Same-Sex Marriage Debates ; 7. Minimizing Marriage: What Political Liberalism Implies for Marriage Law ; 8. Challenges for Minimal Marriage: Poverty, Property, Polygyny
£37.52
Oxford University Press Adaptive Preferences and Womens Empowerment
Book SynopsisWomen and other oppressed and deprived people sometimes collude with the forces that perpetuate injustice against them. Women''s acceptance of their lesser claim on household resources like food, their positive attitudes toward clitoridectemy and infibulations, their acquiescence to violence at the hands of their husbands, and their sometimes fatalistic attitudes toward their own poverty or suffering are all examples of adaptive preferences, wherein women participate in their own deprivation. Adaptive Preferences and Women''s Empowerment offers a definition of adaptive preference and a moral framework for responding to adaptive preferences in development practice. Khader defines adaptive preferences as deficits in the capacity to lead a flourishing human life that are causally related to deprivation and argues that public institutions should conduct deliberative interventions to transform the adaptive preferences of deprived people. She insists that people with adaptive preferences canTrade ReviewSerene J. Khader offers a thorough, insightful, and well-constructed account of APs that offers a fresh perspective on this debate. ... Khaders book is very insightful, with clear definitions, and convincing argumentation. She advances greatly the philosophical conversation by offering a more nuanced version of APs and re-situating them in terms of flourishing rather than autonomy. Furthermore, her practical recommendations are especially promising for development practitioners. * Social Theory and Practice *Filling an important gap in the literature, Serene J. Khader's first book deftly tackles a topic of growing importance as questions of individual human rights, agency and empowerment increasingly run up against questions of multiculturalism in development policy and pluralism in ethics ... this work makes an exhaustive analysis of a difficult and important problem, offering both practical and philosophical guidance for thinking about adaptive preferences. It is an important contribution to studies in which questions of multiculturalism and moral relativism complicate the search for answers. Khader's book also contributes to this discussion by reclaiming the dignity, empowerment, and sense of self-worth of individual women who exhibit inappropriately adaptive preferences, an important move in a discourse that ultimately seeks improvement of the human condition. * Stacy J. Kosko, Journal of Human Development and Capabilities *Table of ContentsCONTENTS; INTRODUCTION; ADAPTIVE PREFERENCES AND GLOBAL JUSTICE
£38.47
Oxford University Press, USA Sidgwickian Ethics
Book SynopsisHenry Sidgwick''s The Methods of Ethics is one of the most important books in the history of moral philosophy. But it has not hitherto received the kind of sustained scholarly attention its stature merits. David Phillips aims in Sidgwickian Ethics to do something that has (surprisingly) not been done before: to interpret and evaluate the central argument of the Methods, in a way that brings out the important conceptual and historical connections between Sidgwick''s views and contemporary moral philosophy. Sidgwick distinguished three basic methods: utilitarianism, egoism, and dogmatic intuitionism. And he focused on two conflicts: between utilitarianism and dogmatic intuitionism and between utilitarianism and egoism. Sidgwick believed he could largely resolve the conflict between utilitarianism and dogmatic intuitionism, but could not resolve the conflict between utilitarianism and egoism. Phillips suggests that the best way to approach Sidgwick''s ideas is to start with his views on these two conflicts, and with the metaethical and epistemological ideas on which they depend. Phillips interprets and largely defends Sidgwick''s non-naturalist metaethics and moderate intuitionist moral epistemology. But he argues for a verdict on the two conflicts different from Sidgwick''s own. Phillips claims that Sidgwick is less successful than he thinks in resolving the conflict between utilitarianism and dogmatic intuitionism, and that Sidgwick''s treatment of the conflict between utilitarianism and egoism is more successful than he thinks in that it provides the model for a plausible view of practical reason.Trade ReviewDavid Phillips's tightly argued Sidgwickian Ethics deserves high praise ... its novelty lies in the fact that it helps us see clearly the relations between its topics ... Phillips's treatment of Sidgwick's meta-ethics and his moral epistemology is largely friendly. * Anthony Skelton, Journal of Moral Philosophy *Phillips presents new and interesting arguments that will, no doubt, stimulate further discussion among those studying the thought of this great Victorian philosopher. ... Readers will no doubt gain a lot from studying his work attentively. * Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, Mind *Sidgwickian Ethics is excellent. The interpretive parts are especially strong. Phillips deploys a wide range of Sidgwick's texts (and their secondary literature) and thorough knowledge of contemporary moral theory. * Rob Shaver, Journal of the History of Philosophy *Table of Contents1: INTRODUCTION ; 2: SIDGWICK'S METAETHICS ; 3: SIDGWICK'S MORAL EPISTEMOLOGY ; 4: UTILITARIANISM VERSUS DOGMATIC INTUITIONISM ; 5: UTILITARIANISM VERSUS EGOISM
£92.15
Oxford University Press Reflecting on Nature
Book SynopsisSpanning centuries of philosophical and environmental thought, Reflecting on Nature: Readings in Environmental Ethics and Philosophy, Second Edition, will inform and enlighten your students while also encouraging debate.Extensively revised and updated for the second edition, this comprehensive collection presents fifty classic and contemporary readings, thirty-three of them new. The second edition retains the core readings and insights of the first edition while also updating its coverage in light of the many changes that have occurred over the last twenty years in the intellectual climate and in patterns of environmental concern. The selections are topically organized into sections on animals, biodiversity, ethics, images of nature, wilderness, and--new to this edition--aesthetics, climate change, food, and justice. This thematic organization, in combination with coverage of current environmental issues, encourages students to apply what they learn in class to real-life problems.Featuring insightful section introductions, discussion questions, and suggestions for further reading, Reflecting on Nature, Second Edition, is ideal for use in environmental philosophy, environmental ethics, and environmental studies courses.Table of Contents*=NEW TO THIS EDITION; SECTION I. IMAGES OF NATURE; SECTION II. ETHICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT; SECTION III. JUSTICE AND THE ENVIRONMENT; SECTION IV. ANIMALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT; SECTION V. CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND CONTROVERSIES; FOOD; WILDERNESS; BIODIVERSITY; CLIMATE CHANGE; AESTHETICS
£86.44
Oxford University Press, USA Democratic Authority and the Separation of Church and State
Book SynopsisDemocratic states must protect the liberty of citizens and must accommodate both religious liberty and cultural diversity. This democratic imperative is one reason for the increasing secularity of most modern democracies. Religious citizens, however, commonly see a secular state as unfriendly toward religion. This book articulates principles that enable secular governments to protect liberty in a way that judiciously separates church and state and fully respects religious citizens. After presenting a brief account of the relation between religion and ethics, the book shows how ethics can be independent of religion-evidentially autonomous in a way that makes moral knowledge possible for secular citizens-without denying religious sources a moral authority of their own. With this account in view, it portrays a church-state separation that requires governments not only to avoid religious establishment but also to maintain religious neutrality. The book shows how religious neutrality is related to such issues as teaching evolutionary biology in public schools, the legitimacy of vouchers to fund private schooling, and governmental support of faith-based initiatives. The final chapter shows how the proposed theory of religion and politics incorporates toleration and forgiveness as elements in flourishing democracies. Tolerance and forgiveness are described; their role in democratic citizenship is clarified; and in this light a conception of civic virtue is proposed. Overall, the book advances the theory of liberal democracy, clarifies the relation between religion and ethics, provides distinctive principles governing religion in politics, and provides a theory of toleration for pluralistic societies. It frames institutional principles to guide governmental policy toward religion; it articulates citizenship standards for political conduct by individuals; it examines the case for affirming these two kinds of standards on the basis of what, historically, has been called natural reason; and it defends an account of toleration that enhances the practical application of the ethical framework both in individual nations and in the international realm.Trade ReviewThe book summarizes, in 155 small pages of text, arguments Audi has been developing for more than 20 years. It is engagingly written and easy to read, with the analytic clarity that is Audi's great strength This is an important book, because it is the latest statement of a widely held position by one of the leading writers in the field. * Andrew Koppelman, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsContents ; Preface and Acknowledgments ; Introduction ; Chapter 1 ; The Autonomy of Ethics and the Moral Authority of Religion ; The Autonomy of Ethics ; Moral Knowledge: General and Particular ; Religion, Theology, and Ethics ; Theoethical Equilibrium: The Integration of Religion and Ethics ; Divine Command Ethics and Secular Morality ; Chapter 2 ; The Liberty of Citizens and the Responsibilities of Government ; The Separation of Church and State and the Limits of Democratic Authority ; The Liberty Principle and the Scope of Religious Freedom ; The Equality Principle and the Case Against Establishment ; The Neutrality Principle: Accommodationist Secularity ; Religious Neutrality, Valuational Neutrality, and Public Policy ; Chapter 3 ; The Secular State and the Religious Citizen ; Freedom of Expression in the Advocacy of Laws and Public Policies ; Major Principles Governing the Advocacy of Laws and Public Policies ; The Charge of Exclusivism Toward Religious Reasons ; Natural Reason, Secularity, and Religious Convictions ; Religious Reasons, Political Decision, and Toleration ; Privatization Versus Activism: The Place of Religious Considerations in ; Public Political Discourse ; Chapter 4 ; Democratic Tolerance and Religious Obligation in a Globalized World ; The Nature of Tolerance ; Is Tolerance a Virtue? ; Toleration and Forgiveness ; The Normative Standards for Democratic Toleration ; Religion in the Workplace as a Test Case for a Theory of Toleration ; Cosmopolitanism as a Framework for Tolerance ; Civic Virtue and Democratic Participation ; International Implications of the Framework ; Conclusion ; Endnotes ; Index
£52.25
Oxford University Press Can Animals Be Moral
Book SynopsisCan animals act for moral reasons? Philosophical tradition answers, almost univocally, no. Recent work in cognitive ethology, however, points in the other direction. Philosophical tradition has apparently convincing arguments on its side. But cognitive ethology can point to a growing body of empirical evidence that suggests these arguments must be wrong. This groundbreaking book assimilates both philosophical and ethological frameworks into a unified whole. In part, ethologists have not understood the enormous logical obstacles facing the claim that animals can act morally. But, in part also, philosophers have been guilty of over-intellectualizing crucial concepts such as moral motivation and action. Building on the ethological evidence, this book engages in meticulous philosophical analysis and argument, and the resulting answer to the question is a qualified yes. Animals can act morally in the sense they can act for moral reasons. Or, at least, they are no compelling logical obstacles to supposing that this is the case. This conclusion has important implications not just for our understanding of animals but also of the central concepts we employ in understanding the moral lives of humans, such as motivation, action, and agency.Trade 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 *An important contribution to the extended field of Ethics...very crisply and also engagingly written. * Chris Bratcher, Ethical Record *I would strongly recommend this book ... to those who are studying animal behaviour and to those who are working on ethics and moral status of animals. * Martin Whiting, Animal Welfare *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
£42.27
Oxford University Press Against Absolute Goodness
Book SynopsisAre there things we should value because they are, quite simply, good? If so, such things might be said to have absolute goodness. They would be good simpliciter or full stop - not good for someone, not good of a kind, but nonetheless good (period). They might also be called impersonal values. The reason why we ought to value such things, if there are any, would merely be the fact that they are, quite simply, good things. In the twentieth century, G. E. Moore was the great champion of absolute goodness, but he is not the only philosopher who posits the existence and importance of this property. Against these friend of absolute goodness, Richard Kraut here builds the argument he made in WHAT IS GOOD AND WHY, demonstrating that goodness is not a reason-giving property - in fact, there may be no such thing. It is, he holds, an insidious category of practical thought, because it can be and has been used to justify what is harmful and condemn what is beneficial. Impersonal value draws us awTrade Reviewthis is a good book for introducing value theory. Its language is easy-flowing, its style conversational. It covers a wide range of relevant topics for such a relatively short book by its use of brief chapters. * David Kaspar, Social Theory and Practice *Table of ContentsContents ; Acknowledgments ; 1. Moore and the Idea of Goodness ; 2. Goodness Before and After Moore ; 3. An Argument for Absolute Goodness ; 4. Absolute Evil, Relative Goodness ; 5. Recent Skepticism about Goodness ; 6. Being Good and Being Good for Someone ; 7. Non-Instrumental Advantageousness ; 8. The Problem of Intelligibility ; 9. The Problem of Double Value ; 10. Pleasure Reconsidered ; 11. Scanlon's Buck-Passing Account of Value ; 12. Moore's Argument Against Relative Goodness ; 13. Goodness and Variability ; 14. Impersonality: an Ethical Objection to Absolute Goodness ; 15. Further Reflections on the Ethical Objection ; 16. Moore's Mistake About Unobserved Beauty ; 17. Better States of Affairs and Buck-Passing ; 18. The Enjoyment of Beauty ; 19. Is Love Absolutely Good? ; 20. Is Cruelty Absolutely Bad? ; 21. Kant on Suicide ; 22. Future Generations ; 23. Bio-Diversity ; 24. Is Equality Absolutely Good? ; 25. The Value of Persons and Other Creatures ; 26. Euthanasia ; 27. The Extinction of Humankind ; 28. The Case Against Absolute Goodness Reviewed ; 29. The Problem of Intelligibility Revisited ; 30. Attributive and Predicative Uses of <"Good>" ; Appendix A: Killing Persons ; Appendix B: J. David Velleman on the Value Inhering in Persons ; Appendix C: Robert Merrihew Adams on the Highest Good ; Appendix D: Thomas Hurka on the Structure of Goods ; Appendix E: Jeff McMahan on Impersonal Value ; Appendix F: Other Authors and Uses ; 1. Plato ; 2. Aristotle ; 3. John Rawls ; 4. John Broome ; Bibliography
£72.20
Oxford University Press Blame
Book SynopsisOne mark of interpersonal relationships is a tendency to blame. But what precise evaluations and responses constitute blame? Is it most centrally a judgment, or is it an emotion, or something else? Does blame express a demand, or embody a protest, or does it simply mark an impaired relationship? What accounts for its force or sting, and how similar is it to punishment?The essays in this volume explore answers to these (and other) questions about the nature of blame, but they also explore the various norms that govern the propriety of blame. The traditional question is whether anyone ever deserves to be blamed, but the essays here provide a fresh perspective by focusing on blame from the blamer''s perspective instead. Is our tendency to blame a vice, something we should work to replace with more humane ways of relating, or does it rather lie at the very heart of a commitment to morality? What can we legitimately expect of each other, and in general, what sort of attitude do would-be blamers need to have in order to have the standing to blame? Hypocritical or self-righteous blame seems objectionable, but why?The contributions to this volume aim to give us a fuller picture of the nature and norms of blame, and more generally of the promises and perils of membership in the human moral community.Trade ReviewCoates and Tognazziniâs collection is outstanding. It is wide-ranging and yet has depth on influential views of blame. The rich connections amongst the essays are particularly impressive. The collection effectively captures the current state of debate while moving it forward. Blame is essential reading for those interested in blame and moral responsibility. * Jada Twedt Strabbing, MIND *Table of ContentsChapter 1: The Contours of Blame ; D. Justin Coates and Neal A. Tognazzini ; Chapter 2: Moral Blame and Moral Protest ; Angela M. Smith ; Chapter 3: Wrongdoing and Relationships: The Problem of the Stranger ; George Sher ; Chapter 4: The Expressive Function of Blame ; Christopher Bennett ; Chapter 5: Interpreting Blame ; T. M. Scanlon ; Chapter 6: Blame and Punishment ; David Shoemaker ; Chapter 7: Directed Blame and Conversation ; Michael McKenna ; Chapter 8: Taking Demands Out of Blame ; Coleen Macnamara ; Chapter 9: Civilizing Blame ; Victoria McGeer ; Chapter 10: Free Will Skepticism, Blame, and Obligation ; Derk Pereboom ; Chapter 11: Valuing Blame ; Christopher Evan Franklin ; Chapter 12: Rightness and Responsibility ; R. Jay Wallace ; Chapter 13: What is an Excuse? ; Erin I. Kelly ; Chapter 14: The Standing to Blame: A Critique ; Macalester Bell ; Chapter 15: Standing in Judgment ; Gary Watson ; References
£41.32
Oxford University Press The Six Perfections
Book SynopsisHere is a lucid, accessible, and inspiring guide to the six perfections--Buddhist teachings about six dimensions of human character that require perfecting: generosity, morality, tolerance, energy, meditation, and wisdom. Drawing on the Diamond Sutra, the Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom, and other essential Mahayana texts, Dale Wright shows how these teachings were understood and practiced in classical Mahayana Buddhism and how they can be adapted to contemporary life in a global society. What would the perfection of generosity look like today, for example? What would it mean to give with neither ulterior motives nor naiveté? Devoting a separate chapter to each of the six perfections, Wright combines sophisticated analysis with real-life applications. Buddhists have always stressed self-cultivation, the uniquely human freedom that opens the possibility of shaping the kind of life we will live and the kind of person we will become. For those interested in ideals of human character and praTrade ReviewDale S. Wright has written a compelling account of one of the world's most ancient - and still-vibrant - models of moral development. The Six Perfections broadens psychology's vision of human excellence. * Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Perfection of Generosity ; 2. The Perfection of Morality ; 3. The Perfection of Tolerance ; 4. The Perfection of Energy ; 5. The Perfection of Meditation ; 6. The Perfection of Wisdom ; Conclusion ; Acknowledgments ; Notes ; References
£26.59
Oxford University Press Dignity Rank and Rights
Book SynopsisWriters on human dignity roughly divide between those who stress the social origins of this concept and its role in marking rank and hierarchy, and those who follow Kant in grounding dignity in an abstract and idealized philosophical conception of human beings. In these lectures, Jeremy Waldron contrives to combine attractive features of both strands. In the first lecture, Waldron presents a conception of dignity that preserves its ancient association with rank and station, thus allowing him to tap rich historical resources while avoiding what many perceive as the excessive abstraction and dubious metaphysics of the Kantian strand. At the same time he argues for a conception of human dignity that amounts to a generalization of high status across all human beings, and so attains the appealing universality of the Kantian position. The second lecture focuses particularly on the importance of dignity - understood in this way - as a status defining persons'' relation to law: their presentatTrade ReviewWaldrons take on human dignity is novel. It contains a bold inversion of almost all philosophical treatments of dignity as something like a metaphysical ground for moral claims. * Matthew Noah Smith, Oxford Journals Clippings: Analysis *Waldron's take on human dignity is novel. It contains a bold inversion of almost all philosophical treatments of dignity as something like a metaphysical ground for moral claims. Waldron eschews this approach by understanding dignity as a substantive and structural feature of the way that legal orders establish rank and statusELthis bold approach allows Waldron to move forward a much-needed philosophical conversation about this deeply interesting and important concept. * Analysis *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Meir Dan-Cohen ; Dignity, Rank, and Rights ; Jeremy Waldron ; 1. Dignity and Rank ; 2. Law, Dignity and Self-Control ; Comments ; Response to Jeremy Waldron ; Wai Chee Dimock ; Aristocratic Dignity? ; Don Herzog ; Dignity, Rank and Rights ; Michael Rosen ; Reply to Commentators ; Jeremy Waldron ; Reply ; Index
£40.84
Oxford University Press The Thief of Time
Book SynopsisWhen we fail to achieve our goals, procrastination is often the culprit. But how exactly is procrastination to be understood? It has been described as imprudent, irrational, inconsistent, and even immoral, but there has been no sustained philosophical debate concerning the topic.This edited volume starts in on the task of integrating the problem of procrastination into philosophical inquiry. The focus is on exploring procrastination in relation to agency, rationality, and ethics -- topics that philosophy is well-suited to address. Theoretically and empirically informed analyses are developed and applied with the aim of shedding light on a vexing practical problem that generates a great deal of frustration, regret, and harm. Some of the key questions that are addressed include the following: How can we analyze procrastination in a way that does justice to both its voluntary and its self-defeating dimensions? What kind of practical failing is procrastination? Is it a form of weakness of Trade ReviewThe Thief of Time is an interesting and important book. It deals in fresh ways with well-known philosophical problems: will and rationality and their weaknesses, vice and virtue, identity, the nature of lived time. And more importantly, Andreou and White's collection often weds these questions to ordinary struggles and anxieties - lucidly and sometimes enjoyably ... Worth putting off rubbish television for it. * Damon Young, Philosophers' Magazine *Table of ContentsNotes on the Contributors ; Introduction, Chrisoula Andreou and Mark D. White ; Part I ; 1. Procrastination: The Basic Impulse, George Ainslie ; 2. Economic Models of Procrastination, Don Ross ; 3. Is Procrastination Weakness of Will?, Sarah Stroud ; 4. Intransitive Preferences, Vagueness, and the Structure of Procrastination, Duncan MacIntosh ; 5. Bad Timing, Jon Elster ; Part II ; 6. Prudence, Procrastination, and Rationality, Olav Gjelsvik ; 7. Procrastination and Personal Identity, Christine Tappolet ; 8. Procrastination, Vagueness and the Policy as Action Model, Sergio Tenenbaum ; 9. Virtue for Procrastinators, Elijah Millgram ; 10. Procrastination as Vice, Jennifer A. Baker ; Part III ; 11. Overcoming Procrastination through Planning, Frank Wieber and Peter M. Gollwitzer ; 12. Coping with Procrastination, Chrisoula Andreou ; 13. Resisting Procrastination: Kantian Autonomy and the Role of the Will, Mark D. White ; 14. Procrastination and the Extended Will, Joseph Heath and Joel Anderson ; 15. Procrastination and the Law, Manuel A. Utset ; Bibliography ; Index
£37.99
Oxford University Press The Enlightenment of Sympathy
Book SynopsisEnlightenment thinkers of the eighteenth century were committed to the ideal of reflective autonomy--the principle that each of us should think for ourselves, particularly when determining moral and political standards. In keeping with that era''s reputation as the age of reason, many interpreted autonomy in a distinctively rationalist way--privileging reflective reason over all other mental faculties. However, other leading philosophers of the era--such as David Hume, Adam Smith, and J.G. Herder--placed greater emphasis on feeling, seeing moral and political reflection as the proper work of the mind as a whole. They argued that without emotion, imagination, and sympathy we would be incapable of developing the moral sentiments that form the basis of our commitment to justice and virtue. The Enlightenment of Sympathy reclaims the sentimentalist theory of reflective autonomy as a resource for enriching social science, normative theory, and political practice today. The sentimentalist desTrade ReviewMichael Frazer has written a thought-provoking analysis and defense of sentimentalist theory. His excellent book is well written and carefully researched, offering insightful discussions of a wide range of thinkers. It will be of great interest to students and scholars working in, among other areas, moral theory, political theory, and eighteenth-century thought. * Charles L. Griswold, Professor of Philosophy, Boston University, and author of Forgiveness: A Philosophical Exploration *Michael Frazer's The Enlightenment of Sympathy corrects a widely entrenched but nonetheless benighted reading of the Enlightenment. Frazer shows how the sentimentalist branch of the enlightenment anticipates much recent scholarship, both philosophical and neuroscientific, on the essential role of emotion. This precise and deft project of recovery should be read by anyone who wishes to be enthused by this superbly argued prophetic endeavor. * George E. Marcus, Professor of Political Science, Williams College, and author of The Sentimental Citizen *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; Introduction: A Tale of Two Enlightenments ; Chapter 1: Sentimentalism Before Hume ; I. The New Science of Human Nature ; II. Religious and Metaphysical Foundations ; III. Theories of Justice ; Chapter 2: Hume's Free-Standing Sentimentalism ; I. Sympathy and the Moral Sentiments ; II. Moral Development ; III. Hume's Normative Theory ; Chapter 3: Hume's Conservative Sentimentalism ; I. Hume's Theory of Justice ; II. The Sentimentalist Case Against Hume's Theory ; Chapter 4: Adam Smith's Liberal Sentimentalism ; I. The Alleged Incompatibility of Sentimentalism with Individualism ; II. The Space Between Actor and Spectator: Sympathy and Moral Judgment ; III. The Space Between Actors: Justice and Natural Jurisprudence ; Chapter 5: Kant's Abandonment of Sentimentalism ; I. The Critical-Period Position on the Foundations of Morals ; II. The Critical-Period Normative Evaluation of Sympathy ; III. The Critical-Period Theory of Affects and Passions ; IV. A Contrasting Pre-Critical Position ; Chapter 6: Herder's Pluralist Sentimentalism ; I. Sentimentalism and the Problem of Diversity ; II. From Sympathy to Diversity ; III. From Diversity to Empathetic Understanding ; IV. From Empathetic Understanding to Justice ; Chapter 7: Sentimentalism Today ; I. Sentimentalism and Social Science ; II. Sentimentalism and Normative Theory ; III. Sentimentalism and Political Practice ; Bibliography
£37.04
Oxford University Press God and Cosmos Moral Truth and Human Meaning
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£42.74
Oxford University Press, USA Blindness and Reorientation
Book SynopsisAre the just happier than the unjust? In Plato'' s Republic, Thrasymachus argues that they aren''t, that justice is simply the advantage of the stronger. Though Socrates apparently refutes him, Plato''s brothers, Glaucon and Adeimantus, take up his argument anew, challenging Socrates to show them that justice really does better further happiness than injustice. The nature of this renewed challenge and the reason for it are hotly debated problems. Equally problematic is the question of whether Socrates succeeds in meeting the challenge in the crucial case of the philosopher-kings, whom he claims are happiest of all. Central to his attempt is a complex tripartite psychology and the yet more complex the metaphysics and epistemology of transcendent Platonic forms. But just how these are to be understood or how knowledge of such forms could help the philosopher-kings with the practical business of governing a city also remain deeply problematic issues. Beginning with a discussion of Socrates in the Apology, and his portrait by Alcibiades in the Symposium, and proceeding to topics more directly within the Republic itself, Blindness and Reorientation develops not just powerful new solutions to these problems, but a new understanding of Plato''s conception of philosophy, its relationship to craft-knowledge, and the roles of dialectic and experience within it. Written in a clear and vivid style, C. D. C. Reeve''s new book will be accessible to any committed reader of Plato.Trade Review... it is evident that the book is full of first-rate Plato scholarship, and that its readers are more likely to be the specialist scholars ... Nevertheless, I have no doubt that this book deserves a place among books that all serious students of Plato should consultI am convinced, moreover, that Reeves love of the Republic, which has intensified over the intervening years since he wrote the Philosopher-Kings, has led to greater insight and not blindness, even though love can have the reverse effect too (p. xiii). * POLIS, The Journal for Ancient Greek Political Thought *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Acknowledgments ; Abbreviations ; Chapter 1: Human Wisdom ; Chapter 2: Alcibiades and the Socratic Craft of Love ; Chapter 3: Cephalus, Odysseus, and the Importance of Experience ; Chapter 4: Glaucon's Thrasymachean Challenge ; Chapter 5: Souls, Soul-Parts, and Persons ; Chapter 6: Beauty and Goodness, Politics and Genitals ; Chapter 7: Education and the Acquisition of Knowledge ; Chapter 8: Craft, Dialectic, and the Form of the Good ; Chapter 9: The Happiness of the Philosopher-Kings
£82.65
Oxford University Press A Theory of Justice for Animals
Book SynopsisAre animals worthy recipients of justice? If so, what do we owe them, and what is to be gained by using the language of justice when considering our duties toward them? A Theory of Justice for Animals, written by one of the foremost scholars of animal ethics, argues that not only are animals worthy recipients of justice, but that the language of justice offers a stronger base of claims for animal advocates than does the language of ethics or morality. It also claims that a genuinely political theory of animal rights is incomplete if it does not go beyond the level of ideal theory. This is the first account of animal ethics to use nonideal theory, and it does so to plot a course from where we are now to where we want to be. Advancing what he calls the enhanced sentience position, Robert Garner argues that a valid theory of justice for animals should be rights-based, and that animals have a right to not suffer at the hands of humans. At the same time, he argues that humans have a greaterTrade ReviewAs a welcome defence of animal rights, Garner's book is among the leading accounts of justice for animals and a powerful, practical weapon against the injustices our species inflicts upon so many suffering animals. * Jeffrey Spring, Political Studies Review *In this highly anticipated book, Robert Garner presents a clear and persuasive new theory of justice for animals. Because the theory aims to be feasible, and attuned to what can be achieved given the realities of our societies, the book is required reading for all those interested in the future of animal protection. * Alasdair Cochrane, Lecturer in Political Theory, University of Sheffield *Table of Contents1. Introduction - Animals, Justice and Nonideal Theory ; 2. Contractarianism, Animals and Justice ; 3. Why Animals Need Justice ; 4. Indirect Duties, Virtue Ethics and Animals ; 5. The Animal Welfare Ethic ; 6. Animal Rights and Justice ; 7. Three Positions Rejected ; 8. Animal Rights as Ideal and Nonideal Theory ; 9. The Argument From Marginal Cases Revisited ; 10. Conclusion
£40.37
Oxford University Press Apocalyptic AI
Book SynopsisApocalyptic AI, the hope that we might one day upload our minds into machines or cyberspace and live forever, is a surprisingly wide-spread and influential idea, affecting everything from the world view of online gamers to government research funding and philosophical thought. In Apocalyptic AI, Robert Geraci offers the first serious account of this cyber-theology and the people who promote it.Drawing on interviews with roboticists and AI researchers and with devotees of the online game Second Life, among others, Geraci illuminates the ideas of such advocates of Apocalyptic AI as Hans Moravec and Ray Kurzweil. He reveals that the rhetoric of Apocalyptic AI is strikingly similar to that of the apocalyptic traditions of Judaism and Christianity. In both systems, the believer is trapped in a dualistic universe and expects a resolution in which he or she will be translated to a transcendent new world and live forever in a glorified new body. Equally important, Geraci shows how this worldviTrade ReviewScholars interested in the intersection of popular science and religion will likely find Geraci's work helpful. Portions of the book, especially the chapter on virtual reality and video games, would also be appropriate for the undergraduate classroom. * Journal of Religion and Popular Culture *Robert Geraci's thoughtful examination of technology-based quests for transcendence offers a serious look at apocalyptic scenarios that, while remaining for now in the realm of science fiction, nonetheless claim significant cultural influence. I don't know when we will see robots with human-like intelligence, but our longing for them, and what that says about us, is what Geraci's book helps us understand. * David S. Touretzky, Research Professor of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Introduction ; Chapter 1. Apocalyptic AI ; Chapter 2. Laboratory Apocalypse ; Chapter 3. Transcending Reality ; Chapter 4. "Immaterial" Impact of the Apocalypse ; Chapter 5. The Integration of Religion, Science, and Technology ; Appendix One ; Appendix Two ; Notes ; References ; Index
£36.09
Oxford University Press Why Political Liberalism
Book SynopsisIn Why Political Liberalism? Paul Weithman offers a fresh, rigorous, and compelling interpretation of John Rawls''s reasons for taking his so-called political turn. Weithman takes Rawls at his word that justice as fairness was recast as a form of political liberalism because of an inconsistency Rawls found in his early treatment of social stability. He argues that the inconsistency is best seen by identifying the threats to stability with which the early Rawls was concerned. One of those threats, often overlooked by Rawls''s readers, is the threat that the justice of a well-ordered society would be undermined by a generalized prisoner''s dilemma. Showing how the Rawls of A Theory of Justice tried to avert that threat shows that the much-neglected third part of that book is of considerably greater philosophical interest, and has considerably more unity of focus, than is generally appreciated. Weithman painstakingly reconstructs Rawls''s attempts to show that a just society would be stabTrade Reviewnot only a convincing rebuttal of the standard story ... but more importantly, a detailed reconstruction of the parts of the argument Rawls ultimately found to be wanting, the flaws Rawls discovered there, and the ways that the pieces of the later work serve to fix those problems. ... Weithman's reconstruction of both the original argument in A Theory of Justice and the later, political, replacement, are masterpieces of close, almost scholastic, exegesis. * Anthony Simon Laden, Mind *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; List of Tables ; Introduction ; 1. The Public Basis of View ; 2. Stability and Congruence ; 3. Ideals and Inconsistency ; 4. The Acquisition of Four Desires ; 5. Thin Reasons to be Just ; 6. The Argument from Love and Justice ; 7. Kantian Congruence and the Unified Self ; 8. The Great Unraveling ; 9. The Political Ideals of Justice as Fairness ; 10. Comprehensive Reasons to be Just ; Conclusion
£40.84
Oxford University Press Moral Sentimentalism
Book SynopsisThere has recently been a good deal of interest in moral sentimentalism, but most of that interest has been exclusively either in metaethical questions about the meaning of moral terms or in normative issues about benevolence and/or caring and their place in morality. In Moral Sentimentalism Michael Slote attempts to deal with both sorts of issues and to do so, primarily, in terms of the notion or phenomenon of empathy. Hume sought to do something like this over two centuries ago, though he didn''t have the term empathy and used sympathy instead; and in effect Slote is seeking to give moral sentimentalism a second wind in and for contemporary circumstances. By relying systematically on empathy in its account of normative morality and in what it has to say about the meaning of moral vocabulary, Moral Sentimentalism offers a unified overall ethical picture that can then be tested against ethical rationalism. Rationalism has recently dominated the scene in ethics, but by showing how sentiTable of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgements ; Introduction ; 1. Empathy: Cement of the Moral Universe ; 2. Moral Approval and Disapproval ; 3. Empathy in Moral Judgment ; 4. A New Kind of Reference-Fixing ; 5. How to Derive "Ought" from "Is" ; 6. The Use of Moral Judgments ; 7. Between Motive and Morality ; 8. Paternalism and Patriarchy ; 9. Justice ; 10. Empathy, Objectivity, and Rationality ; Conclusion ; Index
£35.14
Oxford University Press A Perfect Moral Storm
Book SynopsisClimate change is arguably the great problem confronting humanity, but we have done little to head off this looming catastrophe. In The Perfect Moral Storm, philosopher Stephen Gardiner illuminates our dangerous inaction by placing the environmental crisis in an entirely new light, considering it as an ethical failure. Gardiner clarifies the moral situation, identifying the temptations (or storms) that make us vulnerable to a certain kind of corruption. First, the world''s most affluent nations are tempted to pass on the cost of climate change to the poorer and weaker citizens of the world. Second, the present generation is tempted to pass the problem on to future generations. Third, our poor grasp of science, international justice, and the human relationship to nature helps to facilitate inaction. As a result, we are engaging in willful self-deception when the lives of future generations, the world''s poor, and even the basic fabric of life on the planet is at stake. We should wake upTrade ReviewGardiner has expertly explored some very instinctual and vitally important considerations which cannot realistically be ignored. Required reading. * Robin Whitlock, Green Prophet *Table of ContentsContents ; Preface ; Acknowledgements ; Introduction: A Global Environmental Tragedy ; I. Some Assumptions ; II. Introducing the Perfect Storm Metaphor ; III. Climate Change ; IV. The Wider Relevance of the Model ; V. Outline of the Book ; Part A: Overview ; Chapter 1: A Perfect Moral Storm ; I. Why Ethics? ; II. The Global Storm ; III. The Intergenerational Storm ; IV. The Theoretical Storm ; V. The Problem of Moral Corruption ; Chapter 2: A Consumption Tragedy ; I. What is the Point of Game Theory? ; II. Motivating the Models ; III. A Green Energy Revolution? ; IV. Consumption and Happiness ; Part B: The Global Storm ; Chapter 3: Somebody Else's Problem ; I. Past Climate Policy ; II. Somebody Else's Burden ; III. Against Optimism ; IV. Conclusion ; Chapter 4: In the Shadow of a Common Tragedy ; I. Climate Prisoners? ; II. An Evolving Tragedy ; III. Beyond Pessimism ; IV. Lingering Tragedy ; V. Climate Policy in the Shadows ; VI. Conclusion ; Part C: The Intergenerational Storm ; Chapter 5: The Tyranny of the Contemporary ; I. Problems with 'Generations' ; II. Intergenerational Buck-Passing ; III. Intergenerational Buck-Passing vs. The Prisoners' Dilemma ; IV. The Features of the Pure Intergenerational Problem ; V. Applications and Complications ; VI. Mitigating Factors ; VII. The Non-Identity Problem: A Quick Aside ; VIII. Conclusion ; Chapter 6: An Intergenerational Arms Race? ; I. Abrupt Climate Change ; II. Three Causes of Political Inertia ; III. Against Undermining ; IV. Conclusion ; Part D: The Theoretical Storm ; Chapter 7: A Global Test for Political Institutions and Theories ; I. The Global Test ; II. Scenarios ; III. A Conjecture ; IV. Theoretical Vices ; V. An Illustration: Utilitarianism ; VI. Understanding the Complaint ; VII. Conclusion ; Chapter 8: Cost-Benefit Paralysis ; I. Cost-Benefit Analysis in Normal Contexts ; II. CBA for Climate Change ; III. The Presumption Against Discounting ; IV. The Basic Economics of the Discount Rate ; V. Discounting the Rich? ; VI. Declining Discount Rates ; VII. Two Objections to "Not Discounting" ; VIII. The "Devil's in the Details" Argument ; IX. Conclusions ; Part E: Moral Corruption ; Chapter 9: Jane Austen vs. Climate Economics ; I. Corruption ; II. The Dubious Dashwoods: Initial Parallels ; III. The Opening Assault on the Status of the Moral Claim ; IV. The Assault on Content ; V. Indirect Attacks ; VI. The Moral of the Story ; Chapter 10: Geoengineering in an Atmosphere of Evil ; I. An Idea that is Changing the World ; II. The Problem of Political Inertia Revisited ; III. Two Preliminary Arguments: Cost and "Research First"? ; IV. Arming the Future ; V. Arm the Present? ; VI. Evolving Shadows ; VII. Underestimating 'Evil' ; VIII. An Atmosphere of Evil? ; IX. "But... Should We Do It?" ; Part F: What Now? ; Conclusion: The Immediate Future ; Postscript: Some Initial Ethics of the Transition ; I. Introduction ; II. The Ethics of Skepticism ; III. Past Emissions ; IV. Future Emissions ; V. Responsibility ; VI. Ideal Theory ; VII. Conclusion ; Appendices ; Appendix 1: The Population Tragedy ; I. Hardin's Analysis ; II. Population as a Tragedy of the Commons ; III. Total Environmental Impact ; IV. Conclusion ; Appendix 2: Epistemic Corruption and Scientific Uncertainty in ; Michael Crichton's State of Fear ; I. What the Scientists Know ; II. Certainty, Guesswork and the Missing Middle ; III. Conclusion
£29.19
Oxford University Press Inc Mathematical Theologies Nicholas of Cusa and the Legacy of Thierry of Chartres Oxford Studies in Historical Theology
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£99.75
Tellwell Talent Our Precious Time
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£19.56
Tellwell Talent Its Not Racism Its Hatred Hatred of a Different Skin Colour
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£18.58
Tellwell Talent Its Not Racism Its Hatred Hatred of a Different Skin Colour
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£23.52
Tellwell Talent Farewell Mediocrity
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£11.53
Tellwell Talent The Green Apple
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£29.99
Palgrave Macmillan An Introduction to Animals and the Law
Book SynopsisAcknowledgements Animals and the Law: The Basics Anti-Cruelty Laws Animal Welfare Laws Animal Control and Management Laws Animals, the Constitution and the Private Law The Future: Animals as Subjects, An-All-Inclusive Legal Regime Notes and References IndexTrade Review'A well- written and wide ranging addition to the growing animal law canon. This work provides a valuable resource to students, researchers, lawyers, judges, advocates, and academics. It offers insight into animal law that it is useful to non lawyers as well. The book explores the most important themes in animal law while addressing the fundamental theories upon which that work is based.' - Kathy Hessler, Lewis & Clark Law School, USA 'Rather breath taking in scope, this new scholarly book by Professor Schaffner seeks to introduce the reader to the world of animal law, ethic and public policy. While there is a primary focus on the US, the book also includes a number of issues and examples from around the globe. It is more complex than a simple recitation of the present law, as it also is a critic of the failures of the present system and an introduction to the ethics which support enhancing the legal status animals. It is an excellent introduction to the complex and contradictory world of animal law, ethics and public policy.' - David Favre, Michigan State University College of Law, USA '...fact-filled and tremendously useful...By detailing the inconsistencies and absurdities of animal law as it is currently practiced, Schaffner has provided activists with a valuable tool for engaging in legislative advocacy. As a source of information, a critique of current law, and most importantly a manifesto for a future world in which animal law protects the interests of animals rather than the interests of humans in using animals, An Introduction to Animals and the Law is a vital resource for anyone who wants to change the world for animals and lives within a nation of laws...' - The Hen HouseTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Animals and the Law: The Basics Anti-Cruelty Laws Animal Welfare Laws Animal Control and Management Laws Animals, the Constitution and the Private Law The Future: Animals as Subjects, An-All-Inclusive Legal Regime Notes and References Index
£104.49
Palgrave Macmillan Animal Cruelty Antisocial Behaviour and Aggression
Book SynopsisList of Tables Foreword; P.Arkow Series Editors' Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Historical and Current Conceptualisations of Animal Cruelty Conceptualisations of Antisocial Behaviour The Development of Antisocial Behaviour Theoretical Accounts of Aggressive Behaviour and Animal Cruelty Biological and Individual Difference Risk Factors Environmental Risk Factors Emotional and Cognitive Processes Aetiological Accounts of Animal Cruelty Conclusions and Future Directions References Subject IndexTrade Review Table of ContentsList of Tables Foreword; P.Arkow Series Editors' Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Historical and Current Conceptualisations of Animal Cruelty Conceptualisations of Antisocial Behaviour The Development of Antisocial Behaviour Theoretical Accounts of Aggressive Behaviour and Animal Cruelty Biological and Individual Difference Risk Factors Environmental Risk Factors Emotional and Cognitive Processes Aetiological Accounts of Animal Cruelty Conclusions and Future Directions References Subject Index
£56.24
Penguin Books Ltd Limitarianism
Book SynopsisThe best case I''ve read for putting an upper limit on the accumulation of wealth' Richard Wilkinson''One of the most talked-about books to the moment Limitarianism floats the heretical idea that fixing society isn't just about saving the poorest from destitution, but about putting a cap on how much the richest are able to own'' SpectatorNo-one deserves to be a millionaire. Not even you. We all notice when the poor get poorer: when there are more rough sleepers and food bank queues start to grow. But if the rich become richer, there is nothing much to see in public and, for most of us, daily life doesn''t change. Or at least, not immediately.In this astonishing, eye-opening intervention, world-leading philosopher and economist Ingrid Robeyns exposes the true extent of our wealth problem, which has spent the past fifty years silently spiralling out of control. In moral, political, economic, social, environmental and psychological terms, she shows, extreme wealth is not only unjustifiable but harmful to us all - the rich included.In place of our current system, Robeyns offers a breathtakingly clear alternative: limitarianism. The answer to so many of the problems posed by neoliberal capitalism - and the opportunity for a vastly better world - lies in placing a hard limit on the wealth that any one person can accumulate. Because nobody deserves to be a millionaire. Not even you.*Shortlisted for the Socrates Philosophy Prize*Trade ReviewThe best case I've read for putting an upper limit on the accumulation of wealth. Even the super-rich might be glad if there was a finishing line! -- Richard WilkinsonYou might find yourself, as I did, underlining a sentence or three on every page, and adding exclamation points in the margin -- Tim Adams * Observer *Valuable, intriguing, provocative ... Robeyns poses a question that very rarely gets asked in mainstream politics ... How much is too much? * Guardian *She’s done the maths. We need Limitarianism. Urgently * Irish Examiner *Provocative ... begs an interesting debate about society's future * The Times *A landmark ... gripping, riveting, vivid ... We need to embrace, as Robeyns so compellingly argues, limits on income and wealth. * Inequality.org *Powerful – a must-read -- Thomas PikettyEffortlessly navigating between ethics, political theory, economics and public policy, Ingrid Robeyns’ nuanced and persuasive defence of limitarianism is also a much-needed manifesto for reimagining political institutions -- Lea YpiIs it possible to meet the needs of all people within the means of the living planet? Definitely not in a world dominated by extreme wealth, as Ingrid Robeyns powerfully argues. This landmark book combines meticulous logic with compelling personal stories to draw everyone - from the super-rich to the super-riled - into one of the most critical public debates of our times. Read it. -- Kate RaworthA compelling case for limiting extreme wealth, along economic, political and moral lines ... This argument has never been more important, and this book is a persuasive call to action -- Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts AmherstAn urgent, thought provoking treatise that is both a compelling critique of limitless inequality and an imaginative account of a world without the superrich -- Peter GeogheganIngrid Robeyns has written an essential book from a radical point of view. It is high time someone asked the question, "Is there such a thing as having too much money?" Along with its corollary question, 'So what are we going to do about it?' Robeyns tackles both with deep knowledge, experience and empathy -- Abigail Disney, filmmaker, philanthropist, and activistMany people accept that there is a threshold that no one should fall below. But few have thought that there is a threshold that no one should be free to soar above. In this wonderful book, Ingrid Robeyns presents a novel and nuanced set of arguments for just such an upper threshold. This is a model of how to bring rigorous analysis to bear on practical issues, and to do so in an engaging, humane and accessible way -- Debra SatzRobeyns proves that in a true democracy there are no rights without duties – no wealth without limits. Limitarianism offers a way to re-democratise wealth and thus re-socialise the richest 1%. -- Marlene Engelhorn, co-founder of taxmenowGripping ... we need to embrace a limitarian ethos and free our world once and for all from the fabulously rich. -- Sam Pizzigati * Counterpunch *There is a limit beyond which additional wealth can’t do much to enhance its owner’s life or happiness. But our economic system generates fortunes far beyond any such limit. Ingrid Robeyns makes a convincing case that an upper limit on wealth would be good for society as a whole and even for the wealthy themselves -- John QuigginRobeyns’ argument that top heavy wealth is sinking living standards for the many, spreading economic fear that authoritarians exploit is sound and her thoughtful ideas for reining in extreme wealth are provocative -- David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize winnerLimiting extreme wealth is an idea whose time has surely come and Ingrid Robeyns makes a powerful case for why this should be a priority for public and political debate. Limitarianism builds on what the epidemiology shows so clearly - inequality damages all of us and it needs to be tackled with the greatest urgency -- Kate PickettA withering critique of the ethical, moral, and fiscal harms of unlimited wealth concentration . . . [This] caustic but balanced attack offers an equitable economic compromise * Kirkus Reviews *Perhaps the most blasphemous idea in contemporary discourse -- George Monbiot
£22.50
MIT Press Thinking like a Mall Environmental Philosophy after the End of Nature
Book SynopsisA provocative argument that environmental thinking would be better off if it dropped the concept of “nature” altogether and spoke instead of the built environment.Environmentalism, in theory and practice, is concerned with protecting nature. But if we have now reached “the end of nature,” as Bill McKibben and other environmental thinkers have declared, what is there left to protect? In Thinking like a Mall, Steven Vogel argues that environmental thinking would be better off if it dropped the concept of “nature” altogether and spoke instead of the “environment”—that is, the world that actually surrounds us, which is always a built world, the only one that we inhabit. We need to think not so much like a mountain (as Aldo Leopold urged) as like a mall. Shopping malls, too, are part of the environment and deserve as much serious consideration from environmental thinkers as do mountains. Vogel argues provoc
£29.00
MIT Press Ltd Against Moral Responsibility
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£43.63
