On What Matters: Two-volume set

On What Matters is a major work in moral philosophy. It is the long-awaited follow-up to Derek Parfit's 1984 book Reasons and Persons, one of the landmarks of twentieth-century philosophy. Parfit now presents a powerful new treatment of reasons, rationality, and normativity, and a critical examination of three systematic moral theories - Kant's ethics, contractualism, and consequentialism - leading to his own ground-breaking synthetic conclusion. Along the way he discusses a wide range of moral issues, such as the significance of consent, treating people as a means rather than an end, and free will and responsibility. On What Matters is already the most-discussed work in moral philosophy: its publication is likely to establish it as a modern classic which everyone working on moral philosophy will have to read, and which many others will turn to for stimulation and illumination.;V. 1. Part 1: Reasons. Normative concepts ; Objective theories ; Subjective theories ; Further arguments ; Rationality ; Morality ; Moral concepts -- Part 2: Principles. Possible consent ; Merely as a means ; Respect and value ; Free will and desert -- Part 3: Theories. Universal laws ; What if everyone did that? ; Impartiality ; Contractualism ; Consequentialism -- Conclusions -- Appendices. A. Stage-given reasons ; B. Rational irrationality and Gauthier's theory ; C. Deontic reasons -- v. 2. Part 4: Commentaries. Hiking the range / Susan Wolf ; Humanity as an end in itself / Allen Wood ; A mismatch of methods / Barbara Herman ; How I an not a Kantian / T. M. Scanlon -- Part 5: Responses. On hiking the range ; On humanity as an end in itself ; On a mismatch of methods ; How the numbers count ; Scanlonian contractualism ; The triple theory -- Part 6: Normativity. Analytical naturalism and subjectivism ; Non-analytical naturalism ; The triviality objection ; Naturalism and nihilism ; Non-cognitivism and quasi-realism ; Normativity and truth ; Normative truths ; Metaphysics ; Epistemology ; Rationalism ; Agreement ; Nietzsche ; What matters most -- Appendices. D. Why anything? Why this? ; E. The fair warning view ; F. Some of Kant's arguments for his formula of universal law ; G. Kant's claim about the good ; H. Autonomy and categorical imperatives ; I. Kant's motivational argument ; J. On what there is. On What Matters Is A Major Work In Moral Philosophy. It Is The Long-awaited Follow-up To Derek Parfit's 1984 Book Reasons And Persons, One Of The Landmarks Of Twentieth-century Philosophy. Parfit Now Presents A Powerful New Treatment Of Reasons, Rationality, And Normativity, And A Critical Examination Of Three Systematic Moral Theories - Kant's Ethics, Contractualism, And Consequentialism - Leading To His Own Ground-breaking Synthetic Conclusion. Along The Way He Discusses A Wide Range Of Moral Issues, Such As The Significance Of Consent, Treating People As A Means Rather Than An End, And Free Will And Responsibility. On What Matters Is Already The Most-discussed Work In Moral Philosophy: Its Publication Is Likely To Establish It As A Modern Classic Which Everyone Working On Moral Philosophy Will Have To Read, And Which Many Others Will Turn To For Stimulation And Illumination. V. 1. Part 1: Reasons. Normative Concepts ; Objective Theories ; Subjective Theories ; Further Arguments ; Rationality ; Morality ; Moral Concepts -- Part 2: Principles. Possible Consent ; Merely As A Means ; Respect And Value ; Free Will And Desert -- Part 3: Theories. Universal Laws ; What If Everyone Did That? ; Impartiality ; Contractualism ; Consequentialism -- Conclusions -- Appendices. A. Stage-given Reasons ; B. Rational Irrationality And Gauthier's Theory ; C. Deontic Reasons -- V. 2. Part 4: Commentaries. Hiking The Range / Susan Wolf ; Humanity As An End In Itself / Allen Wood ; A Mismatch Of Methods / Barbara Herman ; How I An Not A Kantian / T.m. Scanlon -- Part 5: Responses. On Hiking The Range ; On Humanity As An End In Itself ; On A Mismatch Of Methods ; How The Numbers Count ; Scanlonian Contractualism ; The Triple Theory -- Part 6: Normativity. Analytical Naturalism And Subjectivism ; Non-analytical Naturalism ; The Triviality Objection ; Naturalism And Nihilism ; Non-cognitivism And Quasi-realism ; Normativity And Truth ; Normative Truths ; Metaphysics ; Epistemology ; Rationalism ; Agreement ; Nietzsche -- Appendices. Why Anything? Why This? ; The Fair Warning View ; Some Of Kant's Arguments For His Formula Of Universal Law ; Kant's Claims About The Good ; Autonomy And Categorical Imperatives ; Kant's Motivational Argument ; On What There Is -- V. 3 Part 7: Irreducibly Normative Truths. ; How Things Might Matter ; Non-realist Cognitivism ; Normative And Natural Truths ; Gibard's Offer To Non-naturalists ; Railton's Defence Of Soft Naturalism ; Railton's Resolution Of Our Disagreements ; Jackson's Non-empirical Normative Truths ; Schroeder's Conservative Reductive Thesis -- Part 8: Expressivist Truths ; Quasi-realist Expressivism ; Gibbard's Resolution Of Our Disagreements ; Another Triple Theory -- Part 9: Normative And Psychological Reasons ; Expressivist Reasons ; Subjective Reason ; Street's Meta-ethical Constructivism ; Morality, Blame, And Internal Reasons L Nietzsche's Mountain -- Part 10: Ethics ; What Matters And Universal Reasons ; Conflicting Reason ; The Right And The Good ; Deontological Principles ; Act Consequentialism And Common Sense Morality ; Towards A Unified Theory. Derek Parfit ; Edited And Introduced By Samuel Scheffler. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Derek Parfit presents the third volume of On What Matters , his landmark work of moral philosophy. Parfit develops further his influential treatment of reasons, normativity, the meaning of moral discourse, and the status of morality. He engages with his critics, and shows the way to resolution of their differences. This volume is partly about what it is for things to matter, in the sense that we all have reasons to care about these things. Much of the book discusses three of the main kinds of meta-ethical theory: Normative Naturalism, Quasi-Realist Expressivism, and Non-Metaphysical Non-Naturalism, which Derek Parfit now calls Non-Realist Cognitivism. This third theory claims that, if we use the word 'reality' in an ontologically weighty sense, irreducibly normative truths have no mysterious or incredible ontological implications. If instead we use 'reality' in a wide sense, according to which all truths are truths about reality, this theory claims that some non-empirically discoverable truths-such as logical, mathematical, modal, and some normative truths-raise no difficult ontological questions. Parfit discusses these theories partly by commenting on the views of some of the contributors to Peter Singer's collection Does Anything Really Matter? Parfit on Objectivity . Though Peter Railton is a Naturalist, he has widened his view by accepting some further claims, and he has suggested that this wider version of Naturalism could be combined with Non-Realist Cognitivism. Parfit argues that Railton is right, since these theories no longer deeply disagree. Though Allan Gibbard is a Quasi-Realist Expressivist, he has suggested that the best version of his view could be combined with Non-Realist Cognitivism. Parfit argues that Gibbard is right, since Gibbard and he now accept the other's main meta-ethical claim. It is rare for three such different philosophical theories to be able to be widened in ways that resolve their deepest disagreements. This happy convergence supports the view that these meta-ethical theories are true. Parfit also discusses the views of several other philosophers, and some other meta-ethical and normative questions.
On What Matters is a major work in moral philosophy. It is the long-awaited follow-up to Derek Parfit's 1984 book Reasons and Persons, one of the landmarks of twentieth-century philosophy. Parfit now presents a powerful new treatment of reasons, rationality, and normativity, and a critical examination of three systematic moral theories - Kant's ethics, contractualism, and consequentialism - leading to his own ground-breaking synthetic conclusion. Along the way he discusses a wide range of moral issues, such as the significance of consent, treating people as a means rather than an end, and free will and responsibility. On What Matters is already the most-discussed work in moral philosophy: its publication is likely to establish it as a modern classic which everyone working on moral philosophy will have to read, and which many others will turn to for stimulation and illumination.
The second volume of Derek Parfit's magnum opus is in four parts. The first presents critiques of his work by four of the world's leading moral philosophers. The second contains his responses. The third and longest part is a self-contained monograph by Parfit on normativity. The final part comprises seven new essays by Parfit on Kant, reasons, irrationality, autonomy - and why the universe exists.
On What Matters is a major work in moral philosophy. It is the long-awaited follow-up to Derek Parfit's 1984 book Reasons and Persons, one of the landmarks of twentieth-century philosophy. Parfit now presents a powerful new treatment of reasons, rationality, and normativity, and a critical examination of three systematic moral theories - Kant's ethics, contractualism, and consequentialism - leading to his own ground-breaking synthetic conclusion. Along the way he discusses a wide range of moral issues, such as the significance of consent, treating people as a means rather than an end, and free will and responsibility. On What Matters is already the most-discussed work in moral philosophy: its publication is likely to establish it as a modern classic which everyone working on moral philosophy will have to read, and which many others will turn to for stimulation and illumination. "On What Matters is a major work in moral philosophy. It is the long-awaited follow-up to Derek Parfit's 1984 book Reasons and Persons, one of the landmarks of twentieth-century philosophy. Parfit now presents a powerful new treatment of reasons, rationality, and normativity, and a critical examination of three systematic moral theories - Kant's ethics, contractualism, and consequentialism - leading to his own ground-breaking synthetic conclusion. Along the way he discusses a wide range of moral issues, such as the significance of consent, treating people as a means rather than an end, and free will and responsibility. On What Matters is already the most-discussed work in moral philosophy: its publication is likely to establish it as a modern classic which everyone working on moral philosophy will have to read, and which many others will turn to for stimulation and illumination."--Résumé de l'éditeur On What Matters is a major work in moral philosophy. It is the long-awaited follow-up to Derek Parfit's 1984 book Reasons and Persons, one of the landmarks of twentieth-century philosophy. In this first volume Parfit presents a powerful new treatment of reasons and rationality, and a critical examination of three systematic moral theories -- Kant's ethics, contractualism, and consequentialism -- leading to his own ground-breaking synthetic conclusion. Along the way he discusses a wide range of moral issues, such as the significance of consent, treating people as a means rather than an end, and free will and responsibility. On What Matters is already the most-discussed work in moral philosophy: its publication is likely to establish it as a modern classic which everyone working on moral philosophy will have to read, and which many others will turn to for stimulation and illumination.