Overview

Can we trust our intuitive judgments of right and wrong? Are moral judgements objective? What reason do we have to do what is right and avoid doing what is wrong? In Conversations on Ethics, Alex Voorhoeve elicits answers to these questions from eleven outstanding philosophers and social scientists: Ken Binmore Philippa Foot Harry Frankfurt Allan Gibbard Daniel Kahneman Frances Kamm Alasdair MacIntyre T. M. Scanlon Peter Singer David Velleman Bernard Williams The exchanges are direct, open, and sharp, and give a clear account of these thinkers' core ideas about ethics. They also provide unique insights into their intellectual development - how they became interested in ethics, and how they conceived the ideas for which they became famous.Conversations on Ethics will engage anyone interested in moral philosophy.

Full Product Details

Author:   Alex Voorhoeve (London School of Economics)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
Imprint:   Oxford University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 14.10cm , Height: 1.30cm , Length: 21.50cm
Weight:   0.380kg
ISBN:  

9780199602940

ISBN 10:   0199602948
Pages:   270
Publication Date:   07 April 2011
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

Introduction Part I. Ethics and Intuitions 1: Frances Kamm: In Search of the Deep Structure of Morality 2: Peter Singer: Each of Us Is Just One Among Others 3: Daniel Kahneman: Can We Trust Our Intuitions? Part II. Virtue and Flourishing 4: Philippa Foot: The Grammar of Goodness 5: Alasdair MacIntyre: The Illusion of Self-Sufficiency Part III. Ethics and Evolution 6: Ken Binmore: The Origin of Fairness 7: Allan Gibbard: A Pragmatic Justification of Morality Part IV. Unity and Dissent 8: T. M. Scanlon: The Kingdom of Ends on the Cheap 9: Bernard Williams: A Mistrustful Animal Part V. Love and Morality 10: Harry Frankfurt: The Necessity of Love 11: David Velleman: Really Seeing Another

Reviews

The dialogue is always insightful. The interviewees turn out to be genuine philosophers, diligent and enormously intelligent but nonetheless struggling and fallible. The value of Voorhoeve's book is that it shows how great minds come to their ideas and come to disagree on fundamental issues... I can recommend it to anyone who wants to delve deeper into ethics. Bart Engelen, Ethical Perspectives [A] beautifully produced collection... A pleasure to read as well as philosophically valuable. Overall, it is an excellent book, providing something different, involving and very welcome. Hugh Upton, Philosophical Investigations Voorhoeve has a real gift for detecting the vulnerable parts in any thinker's argumentation and exposing them in a manner that forces the philosopher to produce a more comprehensive account of her or his views... [A]n excellent illustration of the two desiderata that have inspired philosophical inquiry since the time of Socrates... a special ability for critical thinking [and] a demand for honesty and authenticity. Cristian Iftode, Public Reason Alex Voorhoeve's intellectually stimulating and highly entertaining collection of interviews serves as a perfect introduction to the thoughts of several important contemporary moral philosophers. With beginners in mind, Voorhoeve helpfully summarises theories and clarifies concepts and distinctions charasteristic for the philosophers in question. Professional philosophers will also find the interviews rewarding, since Voorhoeve has a knack of teasing out revealing answers. Krister Bykvist, The Philosophers' Magazine A delight, both in conception and in execution. Voorhoeve's engagement with each thinker is informed, precise, clear, and insightful. Each interview is a pleasure to read. I can highly recommend Conversations on Ethics as worthwhile for anyone interested in ethics. Lauren Tillinghast, Philosophical Practice Voorhoeve probes positions in a precise and clear way... The conversational form is refreshing when compared with other textual forms, like the monograph... It provides readers not only with an outline of each interviewee's position, but also offers a personal impression of each thinker... Exciting for anyone who wants to embed questions in applied ethics in a larger anthropological-philosophical context. Uta Bittner, Zeitschrift fuer medizinische Ethik

[A] beautifully produced collection... A pleasure to read as well as philosophically valuable. Overall, it is an excellent book, providing something different, involving and very welcome. Hugh Upton, Philosophical Investigations Voorhoeve has a real gift for detecting the vulnerable parts in any thinker's argumentation and exposing them in a manner that forces the philosopher to produce a more comprehensive account of her or his views... [A]n excellent illustration of the two desiderata that have inspired philosophical inquiry since the time of Socrates... a special ability for critical thinking [and] a demand for honesty and authenticity. Cristian Iftode, Public Reason Alex Voorhoeve's intellectually stimulating and highly entertaining collection of interviews serves as a perfect introduction to the thoughts of several important contemporary moral philosophers. With beginners in mind, Voorhoeve helpfully summarises theories and clarifies concepts and distinctions charasteristic for the philosophers in question. Professional philosophers will also find the interviews rewarding, since Voorhoeve has a knack of teasing out revealing answers. Krister Bykvist, The Philosophers' Magazine

The dialogue is always insightful. The interviewees turn out to be genuine philosophers, diligent and enormously intelligent but nonetheless struggling and fallible. The value of Voorhoeve's book is that it shows how great minds come to their ideas and come to disagree on fundamental issues... I can recommend it to anyone who wants to delve deeper into ethics. Bart Engelen, Ethical Perspectives [A] beautifully produced collection... A pleasure to read as well as philosophically valuable. Overall, it is an excellent book, providing something different, involving and very welcome. Hugh Upton, Philosophical Investigations Voorhoeve has a real gift for detecting the vulnerable parts in any thinker's argumentation and exposing them in a manner that forces the philosopher to produce a more comprehensive account of her or his views... [A]n excellent illustration of the two desiderata that have inspired philosophical inquiry since the time of Socrates... a special ability for critical thinking [and] a demand for honesty and authenticity. Cristian Iftode, Public Reason Alex Voorhoeve's intellectually stimulating and highly entertaining collection of interviews serves as a perfect introduction to the thoughts of several important contemporary moral philosophers. With beginners in mind, Voorhoeve helpfully summarises theories and clarifies concepts and distinctions charasteristic for the philosophers in question. Professional philosophers will also find the interviews rewarding, since Voorhoeve has a knack of teasing out revealing answers. Krister Bykvist, The Philosophers' Magazine A delight, both in conception and in execution. Voorhoeve's engagement with each thinker is informed, precise, clear, and insightful. Each interview is a pleasure to read. I can highly recommend Conversations on Ethics as worthwhile for anyone interested in ethics. Lauren Tillinghast, Philosophical Practice Voorhoeve probes positions in a precise and clear way... The conversational form is refreshing when compared with other textual forms, like the monograph... It provides readers not only with an outline of each interviewee's position, but also offers a personal impression of each thinker... Exciting for anyone who wants to embed questions in applied ethics in a larger anthropological-philosophical context. Uta Bittner, Zeitschrift fuer medizinische Ethik

Author Information

Alex Voorhoeve is a Senior Lecturer in philosophy at the London School of Economics. He has written on ideals of equality and responsibility, on well-being, and on the theory of rational choice. His articles have appeared in Philosophy & Public Affairs, Economics and Philosophy, and The Journal of Political Philosophy, among others.

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