- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Granta Books; New edition edition (3 July 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1862078556
- ISBN-13: 978-1862078550
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 99,205 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Pig That Wants to be Eaten
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Review
"* 'The Sudoku of moral philosophy' New Statesman * 'Thinking again is what this taut, incisive, bullet- hard book is dedicated to promoting' John Carey, Sunday Times * 'Enjoy these mind-boggling tales from the outer limit of thought' Guardian * 'An eloquent and engaging introduction to the major philosophical quandaries' Scotland on Sunday * 'An engaging read...It's one to which I'll keep returning- whenever I feel like an argument and have nobody to argue with' George Rosie, Sunday Herald (Glasgow)"
The Big Issue
‘It is a remarkably addictive read, like a bag of mental fun-size treats’
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bite-sized,
This review is from: The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten: And Ninety Nine Other Thought Experiments (Hardcover)
Overall I enjoyed this book. The idea of using a hypothetical scenario as an introduction to a great philosophical idea or problem is a good one as it does not require the reader to have any previous knowledge or understanding of the subject. This means that anyone can pick this book up and immediately be introduced with ease to a subject they previously knew nothing about.The wide range of scenarios and ideas presented is also useful as it means if you are not interested in one thing on offer there is likely to be something else for you. As well, it also means that if you have read about something before and know a bit about it this book does not feel like re-visited territory. The sceanarios that are linked to each other are referenced at the end of each segment so if you are interested in that specific theme then you can go straight to the next thought experiment without having to read through a load of others first, which is another useful feature. The only thing about this book I was vaguely dissatisfied with was the because of the huge number of ideas presented here sometimes it felt like you were just being offered a taste of a much larger subject when you wanted to know more about it. Because of the very nature of the book I realise that this should be the way the ideas are presented but occasionally this meant it was slightly unfufilling to read. However, it has prompted me to go on and read more about those areas I was interested in so perhaps it did a great job after all! If you do not know much about philosophy and are keen to get a broad, easily accessable overview then this book is excellent. However, if you already know what you are interested in and like to learn about in it any great depth this book is not designed for you. Pretty good though - interesting and provoking.
40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't read this in one sitting,
By Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten: And Ninety Nine Other Thought Experiments (Hardcover)
Douglas Adams posed many a philosophical question in his works. For some, the most hilarious - or disturbing, was the meal that introduced itself and recommended certain portions for consumption. In a society fully detached from the processing of living flesh into oven-ready tidbits, Adams portrayal of "the pig that wants to be eaten" seems outlandish. Yet, is there truly a moral issue in developing a food that not only embraces the opportunity to be consumed, but has the capacity to help the diner choose the more desireable cut. ?Julian Baggini poses this and ninety-nine other questions in this tantalising collection. Many of the topics he raises have been with us for millennia - remaining unresolved today. The author draws the old questions to centre stage, clad in modern finery and make-up. The new appearance helps bring the reader into the questions with a greater sense of comfort, one hopes. But when the last line has been read, it's clear that this isn't just an entertaining recasting of old conundrums, but of serious issues we confront daily. Reading them all in one go could be dangerous to your mental health! Many readers will have encountered these issues previously: if your brain is transplanted to another body, are you still you? Or if that bastion of "consciousness" is instead placed in a vat of nutrients and wired into a computer that feeds it sensory information, are you still "real"? If your ATM grants you ten thousand dollars when you asked for a hundred, are you "morally bound" to return it [assuming the bank's auditors can't track where it went]? On a lighter note, we might consider whether a sculpture produced by Nature is a work of art. If it is, who sets a value on it? How much would you pay for it? Baggini manages to prompt us with [mostly] plausible circumstances and definitely important questions. He does it in a couple of pages dedicated to each, and never provides a satisfactory answer to any of them. That's right and proper, since the questions posed must be applied by the reader to their own circumstances. He raises questions of who can pollute and the options confronting us all on how far our committments can reach in an increasingly interconnected world. The author's style is that of a fellow commuter on the bus or train every morning. The reading is easy, the format is simple. And each question generates long periods of reflection or exchanges over a beer. Few are resolved easily. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Food for thought - a Baggini baguete!,
By
This review is from: The Pig That Wants to be Eaten: And Ninety-nine Other Thought Experiments (Paperback)
Baggini has collected an entertaining and eclectic list of 100 moral problems from many sources for us to ponder over. The problems have an everyday feel to them that adds to their discussion-worthiness. Short and sweet, each need occupy no larger chunk of time than the average tea break. Baggini follows each problem with a short commentary of his own intended to provoke further thought. He does point you in a certain direction in his usual common-sense way but does not beat you about the head and is perfectly happy to leave an issue wide open. In terms of readability and relevance to everyday life this collection knocks spots off '101 Philosophy Problems' by Martin Cohen, which is strained by comparison.
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