Description
Book SynopsisBeing and Freedom is a panoramic account of ethics in Europe from the French Revolution to the end of the nineteenth century. In this period the influence of ethics ran far beyond philosophy, eventually dominating politics and religion in the West. Developments came from France, Germany, and Britain: this is the first book to treat them together as a Europe-wide phenomenon, paying attention to the context of events and ideas from which they emerged. Skorupski begins by examining the philosophical conflict at the heart of the French revolution, between the individualism of the Enlightenment and two very different forms of holistic ethics: the old regime''s ethic of service and the radical-democracy of the Rousseauian left. Responses analysing freedom and modern social relations came from a series of French liberal thinkers. In Germany the reaction was to two revolutions seen as inaugurating modernity: the political revolution in France and the philosophical revolution of Kant. Here, the
Trade ReviewBeing and Freedom is as much a consideration of European moral thought in the age of the rise of mass democracy and the age of a crisis in Christianity as it is an examination of what 'late modern' philosophers have to say about normativity and reasons. It is a remarkable achievement. * James Harris, Philosophical Quarterly *
An impressive and important contribution to our understanding of late modern ethics and will be an essential resource for anyone with serious interests in the history of ethics. * David O. Brink, Mind *
This is more than a work of intellectual history; Skorupski's discussion is critical, and he applies some of the lessons from this period to contemporary issues in ethics and metaethics. The range and depth of this book make it an indispensable resource for study of ethics, political theory, or the history of ideas * M. A. Michael, Choice *
Ce livre est indispensable, à la fois par sa clarté et sa lucidité, par la profondeur de son enquête historique, par l'originalité des vues d'un des philosophes britanniques les plus importantes dans les discussions contemporaines sur les norms et les raisons, et par son sens, si rare chez les philosophes analytiques, de la synthèse et de l'histoire. * Pascal Engel, Revue de Metaphysique et de Morale *
This book is indispensable for its clarity and lucidity, for the depth of its historical investigation, for the originality of the views of one of the most important British philosophers in contemporary discussion of norms and reasons, and for its sense of synthesis and history, so rare among analytic philosophers. * Pascal Engel, Revue de Metaphysique et de Morale *
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1: Freedom and the French Revolution 2: Freedom in Kant s Revolution 3: Freedom and Faith Between Kant and Hegel 4: Freedom and Spirit: Hegel 5: Retrospect: France and Germany 6: Ethics in the Anglo-Scottish Enlightenment 7: Freedom and Well-Being: Mill 8: Green and Sidgwick: Idealism and Utilitarianism at the End of the Century 9: Concluding Reflection Appendix: The two revolutions Further Reading References
