Mortal Questions : CantoCambridge University Press, 2. mai 1991 - 213 pages Thomas Nagel's Mortal Questions explores some fundamental issues concerning the meaning, nature and value of human life. Questions about our attitudes to death, sexual behaviour, social inequality, war and political power are shown to lead to more obviously philosophical problems about personal identity, consciousness, freedom, and value. This original and illuminating book aims at a form of understanding that is both theoretical and personal in its lively engagement with what are literally issues of life and death. |
Contents
Death | 1 |
The Absurd | 11 |
Moral Luck | 24 |
Sexual Perversion | 39 |
War and Massacre | 53 |
Ruthlessness in Public Life | 75 |
The Policy of Preference | 91 |
Equality | 106 |
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Common terms and phrases
absolutist absurd acceptable action agent-centered appear apply argument aspects basic behavior believe benefit Bernard Williams brain causal choice claims conception condition conflict conscious consequentialist corpus callosum death decision depends determined egalitarian epistemological skepticism ethics evil example experience explain external fact human idea imagine impersonal imply individual inequalities injustice institutions interests justified kind limits lives matter mental phenomena merely method mind mind-body problem moral assessment moral judgment moral luck murder natural objective obligations one's ordinary organism P. F. Strawson panpsychism perception person perversion philosophical physical point of view position possible principle problem properties public morality question Rawls reasons reduced regard relation relevant require responsible restrictions right hemisphere Robert Nozick role sadism and masochism Saul Kripke seems sense sexual desire situation social someone specific split-brain subjective character theory Theory of Justice things tion true types understanding utilitarian utility viewpoint