In the past few decades, scientists of human nature--including experimental and cognitive psychologists, neuroscientists, evolutionary theorists, and behavioral economists--have explored the way we arrive at moral judgments. They have called into question commonplaces about character and offered troubling explanations for various moral intuitions. Research like this may help explain what, in fact, we do and feel. But can it tell us what we ought to do or feel?
In Experiments in Ethics, the philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah explores how the new empirical moral psychology relates to the age-old project of philosophical ethics. Some moral theorists hold that the realm of morality must be autonomous of the sciences others maintain that science undermines the authority of moral reasons. Appiah elaborates a vision of naturalism that resists both temptations. He traces an intellectual genealogy of the burgeoning discipline of 'experimental philosophy,' provides a balanced, lucid account of the work being done in this controversial and increasingly influential field, and offers a fresh way of thinking about ethics in the classical tradition. Appiah urges that the relation between empirical research and morality, now so often antagonistic, should be seen in terms of dialogue, not contest. And he shows how experimental philosophy, far from being something new, is actually as old as philosophy itself. Beyond illuminating debates about the connection between psychology and ethics, intuition and theory, his book helps us to rethink the very nature of the philosophical enterprise.
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"So exciting to find a living philosopher that inspires both emotion and thought! This was an excellent first introduction to Appiah's philosophies and unifying approach for evaluating ethics and morality from a logical yet humanistic standpoint. I can't wait to read more of his work." — Mara (5 out of 5 stars)
"So exciting to find a living philosopher that inspires both emotion and thought! This was an excellent first introduction to Appiah's philosophies and unifying approach for evaluating ethics and morality from a logical yet humanistic standpoint. I can't wait to read more of his work."
" Well written. The first chapter is worth the read. After that, it seems to peter out, at least in terms of ideas I found novel and alluring. The book confronts the artificiality of many experiments used to define ethical values. What exactly can a trolley car tell us? "
" Interesting. Very. That is all I can say. Great for any of you philosophical thinkers out there. "
" Cosmopolitanism-a name that universal believers in humanity share. I like this book more than Appiah's other works because it is philosophical writing for the less philosophical reader. I don't believe in the practicality of everything he writes but I still find it interesting. "
" An interesting read, especially with today's digital revolution. However, if you are not a philosopher or English teacher, I would not advice reading it. "
" Chapter 1 is great! After that it was not as exciting but good food for thought. "
" Pleasantly positivist which is a rarity on the philosophical bookshelf. But the exemplification of the arguments were at times so lengthy that one forgot what the argument was. I believe the book could be easily skimmed into an essay, which could actually add some lucidity to it. "
" Reading now. Love to hear your thoughts. "
" Appiah makes interesting points about the nature of global responsibility, and overall, I agree with his perspective. The actual reading of the book, on the other hand, could have been more engaging. "
" Kind of like a condensed, snappier Ethics of Identity. Not sure about his views of cultural property here, though. "
" Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers (Issues of Our Time Series) by Kwame Anthony Appiah (2006) "
Kwame Anthony Appiah pens the Ethicist column for the New York Times, and is the author of the prize-winning Cosmopolitanism, among many other works. A professor of philosophy and law at New York University, Appiah lives in New York.
Ralph Cosham (1936–2014), a.k.a. Geoffrey Howard, was a British journalist who changed careers to become a narrator and screen and stage actor. He performed in more than one hundred professional theatrical roles. His audiobook narrations were named “Audio Best of the Year” by Publishers Weekly, and he won seven AudioFile Earphones Awards, and in 2013 he won the coveted Audie Award for Best Mystery Narration for his reading of Louise Penny’s The Beautiful Mystery.
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