Examines the history of the moral "trolley" problem, discussing why philosphers have struggled with the ethical dilemma the problem describes, and how each individual's answer indicates a great deal about personal and universal morality.
Est-il acceptable de laisser mourir une personne si cela permet d'en sauver d'autres ? Pourrait-il être même justifié de la tuer pour cela ? Telles sont, formulées abruptement, les questions que pose le dilemme du Tramway.
Né d'une réflexion sur les grandes catastrophes qui ont rebattu les cartes de la philosophie morale au XXe siècle, en dialogue constant avec les plus grandes oeuvres de la tradition, ce scénario si simple en apparence est devenu un outil indispensable pour comprendre les grands enjeux éthiques de notre époque. L'ouvrage de David Edmonds qui en retrace pour la première fois l'histoire constitue ainsi une voie d'accès idéale à l'expérience de pensée la plus célèbre de la philosophie contemporaine.
Take 25 of the liveliest philosophers of our time. Talk to each about one of the most intriguing topics you can think of--from ethics to aesthetics to metaphysics. The result is a Philosophy Bite--a lively, informal conversation that brings the subject into focus. First made public on the enormously popular Philosophy Bites podcast, these entertaining, personal, and illuminating conversations are presented in print. The result is a book that is a taster for the whole enterprise of philosophy, and gives unexpected insights into hot topics spanning ethics, politics, metaphysics, aesthetics, and the meaning of life.
For decades, the USSR had dominated world chess. Evidence, according to Moscow, of the superiority of the Soviet system. But in 1972 along came the American, Bobby Fischer - insolent, arrogant, abusive, vain, greedy, vulgar, bigoted, paranoid and obsessive. And apparently unstoppable . . .'It was thanks to Fischer's greed and weirdness that the Reykjavik match was such a compelling event . . . A fascinating story, admirably told.' Daily Telegraph'Fischer seemed to thrive on complaints, tantrums and ultimatums, treating the exercise as a game, not of chess but of Chicken . . . It is precisely these factors that make for such a gripping read.' Sunday Times'The most famous chess match of all time reconstructed in a style as compelling as that of a thriller.' Irish Times'Pure drama . . . The most cool, ruthless and rational player the world has ever seen.' Independent
A sparkling, original tour through 2,500 years of Western thought, from Socrates to Derrida, from happiness and love in ancient Greece to truth and forgiveness in the twentieth century. Twenty-seven of today's leading philosophers each introduce and explore ideas from one of history's greatest minds.
