The Metaphysics Of Good And Evil

Author : David S. Oderberg
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 208 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2019-11-22
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781000712506

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The Metaphysics of Good and Evil by David S. Oderberg Pdf

The Metaphysics of Good and Evil is the first, full-length contemporary defence, from the perspective of analytic philosophy, of the Scholastic theory of good and evil – the theory of Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, and most medieval and Thomistic philosophers. Goodness is analysed as obedience to nature. Evil is analysed as the privation of goodness. Goodness, surprisingly, is found in the non-living world, but in the living world it takes on a special character. The book analyses various kinds of goodness, showing how they fit into the Scholastic theory. The privation theory of evil is given its most comprehensive contemporary defence, including an account of truthmakers for truths of privation and an analysis of how causation by privation should be understood. In the end, all evil is deviance – a departure from the goodness prescribed by a thing’s essential nature. Key Features: Offers a comprehensive defence of a venerable metaphysical theory, conducted using the concepts and methods of analytic philosophy. Revives a much neglected approach to the question of good and evil in their most general nature. Shows how Aristotelian-Thomistic theory has more than historical relevance to a fundamental philosophical issue, but can be applied in a way that is both defensible and yet accessible to the modern philosopher. Provides what, for the Scholastic philosopher, is arguably the only solid metaphysical foundation for a separate treatment of the origins of morality.

Author : Friedrich Nietzsche
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 285 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2020-02-03
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780857088482

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Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche Pdf

A deluxe, high-quality edition of Friedrich Nietzsche’s seminal work Beyond Good and Evil is one of the final books by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. This landmark work continues to be one of the most well-known and influential explorations of moral and ethical philosophy ever conceived. Expanding on the concepts from his previous work Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche adopts a polemic approach to past philosophers who, in his view, lacked critical sense in accepting flawed premises in their consideration of morality. The metaphysics of morality, Nietzsche argues, should not assume that a good man is simply the opposite of an evil man, rather merely different expression of humanity’s common basic impulses. Controversial in its time, as well as hotly debated in the present, Nietzsche’s work moves beyond conventional ethics to suggest that a universal morality for all human beings in non-existent – perception, reason and experience are not static, but change according to an individual’s perspective and interpretation. The work further argues that philosophic traditions such as “truth,” “self-consciousness” and “free will” are merely inventions of Western morality and that the “will to power” is the real driving force of all human behaviour. This volume: Critiques the belief that actions, including domination or injury to the weak, can be universally objectionable Explores themes of religion and “master and slave” morality Includes a collection of stunning aphorisms and observations of the human condition Part of the bestselling Capstone Classics Series edited by Tom Butler-Bowdon,this collectible, hard-back edition of Beyond Good and Evil provides an accessible and insightful Introduction by leading Nietzsche authority Dr Christopher Janaway. This deluxe volume is perfect for anyone with interest in philosophy, psychology, science, history and literature.

Author : Lars Fr. H. Svendsen
Publisher : Dalkey Archive Press
Page : 314 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2010
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781564785718

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A Philosophy of Evil by Lars Fr. H. Svendsen Pdf

Despite the overuse of the word in movies, political speeches, and news reports, "evil" is generally seen as either flagrant rhetoric or else an outdated concept: a medieval holdover with no bearing on our complex everyday reality. In "A Philosophy of Evil," however, acclaimed philosopher Lars Svendsen argues that evil remains a concrete moral problem: that we're all its victims, and all guilty of committing evil acts. "It's normal to be evil," he writes--the problem is, we have lost the vocabulary to talk about it. Taking up this problem--how do we speak about evil?--"A Philosophy of Evil" treats evil as an ordinary aspect of contemporary life, with implications that are moral, practical, and above all, political. Because, as Svendsen says, "Evil should neither be justified nor explained away--evil must be fought."

Author : Pavlos Kontos
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 287 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2018-02-22
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781107161979

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Evil in Aristotle by Pavlos Kontos Pdf

Provides the first full study of Aristotle's notion of evil and sheds light on its content, potential, and influence.

Author : Susan Neiman
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 408 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2015-08-25
Category : Ethics & Moral Philosophy; Philosophy
ISBN : 9780691168500

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Evil in Modern Thought by Susan Neiman Pdf

Whether expressed in theological or secular terms, evil poses a problem about the world's intelligibility. It confronts philosophy with fundamental questions: Can there be meaning in a world where innocents suffer? Can belief in divine power or human progress survive a cataloging of evil? Is evil profound or banal? Neiman argues that these questions impelled modern philosophy. Traditional philosophers from Leibniz to Hegel sought to defend the Creator of a world containing evil. Inevitably, their efforts--combined with those of more literary figures like Pope, Voltaire, and the Marquis de Sade--eroded belief in God's benevolence, power, and relevance, until Nietzsche claimed He had been murdered. They also yielded the distinction between natural and moral evil that we now take for granted. Neiman turns to consider philosophy's response to the Holocaust as a final moral evil, concluding that two basic stances run through modern thought. One, from Rousseau to Arendt, insists that morality demands we make evil intelligible. The other, from Voltaire to Adorno, insists that morality demands that we don't.

Author : Wayne Cristaudo
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 178 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2008-01-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9789401205382

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Power, Love and Evil by Wayne Cristaudo Pdf

Love and evil are real – they are substances of force fields which contain us as constituent parts. Of all the powers of life they are the two most pregnant with meaning, hence the most generative of what is specifically human. Love and evil stand in the closest relationship to each other: evil is both what destroys love and what forces more love out of us; it is, as Augustine astutely grasped, privative (requiring something to negate) but it is also born out of misdirected love. Breaking with naïve realist and post-modern dogmas about the nature of the real, this book provides the basis for a philosophy of generative action as it draws upon examples from philosophy, literature, religion and popular culture. While this book has a sympathetic ear for ancient and traditional narratives about the meaning of life, it offers a philosophy appropriate for our times and our crises. It is particularly directed at readers who are seeking for new ways to think about our world and self-making, and who are as dissatisfied with post-Nietzschean and post-Marxian 20th century social theory as they are by more traditional philosophical and naturalistic accounts of human being.

Author : Marilyn McCord Adams
Publisher : Cornell University Press
Page : 237 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2018-09-05
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781501735929

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Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God by Marilyn McCord Adams Pdf

When confronted by horrendous evil, even the most pious believer may question not only life's worth but also God's power and goodness. A distinguished philosopher and a practicing minister, Marilyn McCord Adams has written a highly original work on a fundamental dilemma of Christian thought—how to reconcile faith in God with the evils that afflict human beings. Adams argues that much of the discussion in analytic philosophy of religion over the last forty years has offered too narrow an understanding of the problem. The ground rules accepted for the discussion have usually led philosophers to avert their gaze from the worst—horrendous—evils and their devastating impact on human lives. They have agreed to debate the issue on the basis of religion-neutral values, and have focused on morals, an approach that—Adams claims—is inadequate for formulating and solving the problem of horrendous evils. She emphasizes instead the fruitfulness of other evaluative categories such as purity and defilement, honor and shame, and aesthetics. If redirected, philosophical reflection on evil can, Adams's book demonstrates, provide a valuable approach not only to theories of God and evil but also to pastoral care.

Author : Francisco Suárez,Jorge J. E. Gracia,Douglas P. Davis
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 1989
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : UVA:X001651921

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The Metaphysics of Good and Evil According to Suárez by Francisco Suárez,Jorge J. E. Gracia,Douglas P. Davis Pdf

Author : Richard Taylor
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 296 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 1970
Category : Ethics
ISBN : STANFORD:36105001667646

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Good and Evil: a New Direction by Richard Taylor Pdf

Author : Susan Neiman
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 480 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2009-09-06
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780691143897

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Moral Clarity by Susan Neiman Pdf

"Neiman reclaims the vocabulary of morality--good and evil, heroism and nobility--as a lingua franca for the twenty-first century. In constructing a framework for taking responsible action on today's urgent questions, [she] reaches back to the eighteenth century, retrieving a series of values--happiness, reason, reverence, and hope--held high by Enlightenment thinkers. In this ... updated edition, Neiman reflects on how the moral language of the 2008 presidential campaign has opened up new political and cultural possibilities in America and beyond"--Back cover.

Author : Richard Carrier
Publisher : AuthorHouse
Page : 446 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2005-02-23
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781452059266

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Sense and Goodness Without God by Richard Carrier Pdf

If God does not exist, then what does? Is there good and evil, and should we care? How do we know what’s true anyway? And can we make any sense of this universe, or our own lives? Sense and Goodness answers all these questions in lavish detail, without complex jargon. A complete worldview is presented and defended, covering every subject from knowledge to art, from metaphysics to morality, from theology to politics. Topics include free will, the nature of the universe, the meaning of life, and much more, arguing from scientific evidence that there is only a physical, natural world without gods or spirits, but that we can still live a life of love, meaning, and joy.

Author : Marilyn McCord Adams,Robert Merrihew Adams
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 1990
Category : Good and evil
ISBN : 9780198248668

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The Problem of Evil by Marilyn McCord Adams,Robert Merrihew Adams Pdf

This collection of important writings fills the need for an anthology that adequately represents recent work on the problem of evil. This is perhaps one of the most discussed topics in the philosophy of religion, and is of perennial interest to philosophers and theologians.

Author : Luke Russell
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 149 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2020-09-24
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9780198862079

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Being Evil by Luke Russell Pdf

With the media bringing us constant tales of terrorism and violence, questions regarding the nature of evil are highly topical. Luke Russell explores the philosophical thinking and psychological evidence behind evil, alongside portrayals of fictional villains, considering why people are evil, and how it goes beyond the normal realms of what is bad.

Author : David S. Oderberg
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 329 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2007-11-13
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781134348855

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Real Essentialism by David S. Oderberg Pdf

Real Essentialism presents a comprehensive defence of neo-Aristotelian essentialism. Do objects have essences? Must they be the kinds of things they are in spite of the changes they undergo? Can we know what things are really like – can we define and classify reality? Many if not most philosophers doubt this, influenced by centuries of empiricism, and by the anti-essentialism of Wittgenstein, Quine, Popper, and other thinkers. Real Essentialism reinvigorates the tradition of realist, essentialist metaphysics, defending the reality and knowability of essence, the possibility of objective, immutable definition, and its relevance to contemporary scientific and metaphysical issues such as whether essence transcends physics and chemistry, the essence of life, the nature of biological species, and the nature of the person.

Author : Raimond Gaita
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 360 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 1991
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : IND:30000037293861

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Good and Evil by Raimond Gaita Pdf

Raimond Gaita's Good and Evil is one of the most important, original and provocative books on the nature of morality to have been published in recent years. It is essential reading for anyone interested in what it means to talk about good and evil. Gaita argues that questions about morality are inseparable from the preciousness of each human being, an issue we can only address if we place the idea of remorse at the centre of moral life. Drawing on an astonishing range of thinkers and writers, including Plato, Wittgenstein, George Orwell and Primo Levi, Gaita also reflects on the place of reason and truth in morality and ultimately how questions about good and evil are connected to the meaning of our lives. This revised edition of Good and Evil includes a substantial new preface and afterword by the author.