Reasons and PersonsThis book challenges, with several powerful arguments, some of our deepest beliefs about rationality, morality, and personal identity. The author claims that we have a false view of our own nature; that it is often rational to act against our own best interests; that most of us have moral views that are directly self-defeating; and that, when we consider future generations the conclusions will often be disturbing. He concludes that moral non-religious moral philosophy is a young subject, with a promising but unpredictable future. |
What people are saying - Write a review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - dono421846 - LibraryThingI've often felt this book has not received the attention that it deserves. While not exactly what one would call an easy read, the arguments overwhelm the reader and, perhaps, permanently change one's views. Read full review
Contents
RATIONALITY AND TIME | 115 |
PERSONAL IDENTITY | 197 |
FUTURE GENERATIONS | 349 |
CONCLUDING CHAPTER | 443 |
APPENDICES | 457 |
Notes | 505 |
| 533 | |
| 541 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
accept achieve acting irrationally acting wrongly answer appeal apply argued argument assume bad effects benefit brain and body cause cease to exist child choice Common-Sense Morality concern Consequentialist Consider continued existence deny Derek Parfit desires discuss disposition fulfil further fact give happens happiness harm Hedonistic imagined implies involve irrational justified kind later less matters Mere Addition Paradox moral reason moral theory Nagel never self-denying Non-Reductionist View objection outcome better outcome worse outweighed pain past personal identity plausible possible Present-aim Theory Prisoner's Dilemmas psychological connectedness psychological continuity Psychological Criterion pure do-gooders question reasons for acting Reductionist View reject relation Replica Repugnant Conclusion resulting person revised S-Theorist self-defeating Self-interest Theory separately existing entities series-person Sidgwick Social Discount Rate someone stream of consciousness suffering Suppose Teletransportation temporally neutral theories about self-interest Theorist threat-fulfiller transitive relation true Utilitarians worth living wrong
Bibliographic information
| Title | Reasons and Persons |
| Author | Derek Parfit |
| Publisher | OUP Oxford, 1986 |
| ISBN | 0191622443, 9780191622441 |
| Length | 560 pages |
| Subjects | › › Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy Philosophy / History & Surveys / Modern |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |