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Moral Luck: Philosophical Papers 1973-1980: Philosophical Papers 1973 -1980
 
 

Moral Luck: Philosophical Papers 1973-1980: Philosophical Papers 1973 -1980 (Paperback)

by Bernard Williams (Author) "Much of the most interesting recent work in moral philosophy has been of basically Kantian inspiration; Rawls' own work and those to varying degrees influenced..." (more)
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Moral Luck: Philosophical Papers 1973-1980: Philosophical Papers 1973 -1980 + Problems of the Self: Philosophical Papers 1956-1972 + Making Sense of Humanity: And Other Philosophical Papers 1982-1993
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Product details

  • Paperback: 188 pages
  • Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Reissue edition (3 Dec 1981)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0521286913
  • ISBN-13: 978-0521286916
  • Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 15.2 x 1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 331,695 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
  • See Complete Table of Contents

Product Description

Product Description
A new volume of philosophical essays by Bernard Williams. The book is a successor to Problems of the Self, but whereas that volume dealt mainly with questions of personal identity, Moral Luck centres on questions of moral philosophy and the theory of rational action. That whole area has of course been strikingly reinvigorated over the last deacde, and philosophers have both broadened and deepened their concerns in a way that now makes much earlier moral and political philosophy look sterile and trivial. Moral Luck contains a number of essays that have contributed influentially to this development. Among the recurring themes are the moral and philosophical limitations of utilitarianism, the notion of integrity, relativism, and problems of moral conflict and rational choice. The work presented here is marked by a high degree of imagination and acuity, and also conveys a strong sense of psychological reality. The volume will be a stimulating source of ideas and arguments for all philosophers and a wide range of other readers.

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First Sentence
Much of the most interesting recent work in moral philosophy has been of basically Kantian inspiration; Rawls' own work and those to varying degrees influenced by him such as Richards and Nagel are very evidently in the debt of Kant, while it is interesting that a writer such as Fried who gives evident signs of being pulled away from some characteristic features of this way of looking at morality nevertheless, I shall suggest later, tends to get pulled back into it. Read the first page
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A lesson in how to do, and write, philosophy., 20 Mar 2001
By A Customer
Taking its title from one of Williams' most influential, and best, essays, this collection touches on just about every philosophically interesting topic you could hope for. But, as always, Williams' thought is never less than completely rigorous and stimulating.

Williams' primary focus is ethics and the ethical life, although there is also some insightful writing on matters relating to epistemology and personal identity. He certainly has some interesting things to say on the latter topic - indeed many of the 'identity-crisis' scenarios he offers here and in PROBLEMS OF THE SELF are now standard in philosophical discussions of personal identity, and are excellent examples of how to use hypothetical cases to really engage the reader.

But it is when he touches on ethical topics that he really shines. The title essay offers a fascinating critique of broadly Kantian moral thinking, and provides the foundations which he builds upon in ETHICS AND THE LIMITS OF PHILOSOPHY. It also manages to offer the reader some genuinely original ideas, and is responsible for giving the important, and intriguing, notion of 'moral luck' to the philosophical world. Similar flashes of inspiration can be found throughout the rest of the essays, and make reading this collection a truly exciting prospect - a real rarity in philosophical writing

Williams may not be the most concise of philosophy writers, but his almost conversational, meandering tone fits perfectly with his style of philosophy. For all of his rigorousness and depth of thought, he is careful not to stray too far from our everyday thinking patterns, and is deeply critical of philosophers who take readers out on a hypothetical limb. It is this last property which makes this a rarity in philosophy - a collection of essays which never fails to grab the interest and attention of the reader.

This is, like most of Williams' writing, required reading for philosophy students everywhere. Buy it now.

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