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Books > Humanities > Philosophy > Topics in philosophy
Adam Smith's theory on morals provides the philosophical bedrock
for his future works on economics, including his most famous book
The Wealth of Nations. Published in 1759, this work sees Smith
follow the lead of his tutor and mentor Francis Hutcheson. He
divides his ethical examinations into four broad categories: ethics
and virtue; private rights and natural liberties; rights of the
family; and state and individual rights. Although lesser known
compared to Adam Smith's later works, The Theory of Moral
Sentiments is an influential work of philosophy in its own right,
with the greatest effect being upon its author.
Love him or hate him, you certainly can't ignore him. For the past twenty years, Australian philosopher and professor of bioethics Peter Singer has pushed the hot buttons of our collective conscience. In addition to writing the book that sparked the modern animal rights movement, Singer has challenged our most closely held beliefs on the sanctity of human life, the moral obligation's of citizens of affluent nations toward those living in the poorest countries of the world, and much more, with arguments that intrigue as often and as powerfully as they incite. Writings On An Ethical Life offers a comprehensive collection of Singer's best and most provocative writing, as chosen by Singer himself. Among the controversial subjects addressed are the moral status of animals, environmental account-ablility, abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and the ultimate choice of living an ethical life. This book provides an unsurpassed one-volume view of both the underpinnings and the applications of Singer's governing philosophy.
This collection brings together two of Schopenhauer's most
respected works, wherein the philosopher shares his views on life
and what he believes to be follies of human behavior. Writing with
incisive poise and a great sense of humor, Schopenhauer introduces
the various ideas present in his pessimistic philosophy. Holding
the usual goals of life - money, position, material and sexual
pleasures - in low regard, he explains how the cultivation of one's
individuality and mind are far better pursuits, albeit those that
most people neglect. Rather than simply criticize the state of
humanity, Schopenhauer uses wit and lively argument to convince the
reader of the value in his outlook. The practice of an ordinary
life and career is thereby demonstrated as spiritually draining, in
contrast to concentration upon a wise mind and strong body, plus a
moderated or even ascetic approach to material things.
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The Prince
(Hardcover)
Niccolo Machiavelli; Translated by W K Mariott
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R493
Discovery Miles 4 930
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Smart Technologies and Fundamental Rights covers a broad range of
vital topics that highlight the ethical, socio-political, and legal
challenges as well as technical issues of Artificial Intelligence
with respect to fundamental rights. Either humanity will greatly
profit from the use of AI in almost all domains in human life,
which may eventually lead to a much better and more humane society,
or it could be the case that people may misuse AI for idiosyncratic
purposes and intelligent machines may turn against human beings.
Therefore, we should be extremely cautious with respect to the
technological development of AI because we might not be able to
control the machines once they reached a certain level of
sophistication.
When Michael Walzer's Spheres of Justice was published ten years
ago, the front page of The New York Times Book Review hailed the
work as "an imaginative alternative to the current debate over
distributive justice". Now in Thick and Thin, Walzer revises and
extends his arguments in Spheres of Justice, framing his ideas
about justice, social criticism, and national identity in light of
the new political world that has arisen in the past decade. Walzer
focuses on two different but interrelated kinds of moral argument:
maximalist and minimalist, thick and thin, local and universal.
According to Walzer the first, thick type of moral argument is
culturally connected, referentially entangled, detailed, and
specific; the second, or thin type, is abstract, ad hoc, detached,
and general. Thick arguments play the larger role in determining
our views about domestic justice and in shaping our criticism of
local arrangements. Thin arguments shape our views about justice in
foreign places and in international society. The book begins with
an account of minimalist argument, then examines two uses of
maximalist arguments, focusing on distributive justice and social
criticism. Walzer then discusses minimalism with a qualified
defense of self-determination in international society, and
concludes with a discussion of the (divided) self capable of this
differentiated moral engagement. Walzer's highly literate and
fascinating blend of philosophy and historical analysis will appeal
not only to those interested in the polemics surrounding Spheres of
justice but also to intelligent readers who are more concerned with
getting the arguments right.
In her new book, Corine Pelluchon argues that the dichotomy between
nature and culture privileges the latter. She laments that the
political system protects the sovereignty of the human and leaves
them immune to impending environmental disaster. Using the
phenomenological writings of French philosophers like Emmanuel
Levinas, Jacques Derrida, and Paul Ricoeur, Pelluchon contends that
human beings have to recognise humanity's dependence upon the
natural world for survival and adopt a new philosophy of existence
that advocates for animal welfare and ecological preservation. In
an extension of Heidegger's ontology of concern, Pelluchon declares
that this dependence is not negative or a sign of weakness. She
argues instead, that we are nourished by the natural world and that
the very idea of nourishment contains an element of pleasure. This
sustenance comforts humans and gives their lives taste. Pelluchon's
new philosophy claims then, that eating has an affective, social
and cultural dimension, but that most importantly it is a political
act. It solidifies the eternal link between human beings and
animals, and warns that the human consumption of animals and other
natural resources impacts upon humanity's future.
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