Reasons and persons is arguably the most influential of the two books published in his lifetime and hailed as a classic work of. It presents a powerful new treatment of reasons and rationality, and a critical examination of three systematic moral theories immanuel kants ethics, contractualism, and consequentialism leading to a groundbreaking synthetic. The text is thought to be read together with the text of parfit, otherwise it may result obscure in some parts. Parfit held that conventional philosophical notions regarding the nature of persons. Reasons and persons by derek parfit, 1984, clarendon press edition, in english. Challenging, with several powerful arguments, some of our deepest beliefs about rationality, morality, and personal identity, parfit claims that we have a false view about our own nature. Reasons and persons parfit derek theo todmans book.
Pdf derek parfit reasons and persons juliana chumak. In reasons and persons, parfit suggested that nonreligious ethics is a young and fertile field of inquiry. On a stronger version of this view, if some act is our. Buy reasons and persons oxford paperbacks by parfit, derek isbn. Parfit rose to prominence in 1971 with the publication of his first paper, personal identity. In reasons and persons, parfits clipped prose, with its repetitive sentences, poetic cadence and sly humour becomes the vehicle for a depth and range of insight rarely matched in recent philosophy. Apr 24, 2009 summarymeaning of parfits personal identity. Derek parfit 19422017 is widely considered to be one of the most important moral philosophers of the twentieth century.
I am interested to the third part of the book because it is about personal identity. Reasons and motivation derek parfit and john broome i. Overview of personal identity from a philosophical perspective as conceived traditionally and disputed by derek parfit reasons and persons. All parfits arguments in part three of reasons and persons tend to the conclusion that 3. Very few works in the subject can compare with parfit s in scope, fertility, imaginative resource, and cogency of reasoning. On a stronger version of this view, if some act is our duty, that makes it what we have most reason to do.
In this first volume parfit presents a powerful new treatment of reasons and rationality, and a critical examination of three systematic moral theories kants ethics, contractualism, and. Parfit held that conventional philosophical notions regarding the. In his recent book, reasons and persons, derek parfit propounds a version of the psychological criterion of personal identity. Wachsberg,williamewald,galenstrawson,gordoncornwall,richardsikora,parthadasgupta,dr. Derek parfit discussing personal identity in the documentary brainspotting christopher grau. Does anyone know the general meaning of derek parfits personal identity from reasons and persons.
Derek parfitreasons, persons, and effective altruism duration. Adam hodgkins tribute to parfit hodgkin edited parfits reasons and persons for oup liberation tribute to parfit in french the guardian obituary. Leiter reports notice with video of parfit discussing personal identity vox article on parfits importance. Sep 08, 2012 first talk on parfit for sju ol philosophy of death. Building your brain for success with legendary neuroscientist v. The claim that persons are their brains was strongly rejected in reasons and persons for reasons that supported a central argument of that book. Moral action should aim to benefit the aggregate of people rather than specific people. Authors abstract argues whether an outcome could be made worse by the mere addition of extra people who have lives worth living. Oct 24, 2006 parfit describes what he calls the standard view of the existence of ordinary material objects, like billiard balls p.
Parfits solution to the dilemma of the double transplant is that personal identity is not, after all, what matters in survival. Reasons and persons is unquestionably one of the most important philosophical works of the 20th century, although its conspicuous absence from bookstore shelves might suggest otherwise. His first book, reasons and persons 1984, has been described as the most significant work of moral philosophy since the 1800s. But for those planning to read parfits masterwork of moral philosophy, i would like to offer two words of warning. It is with deep sadness that we report the loss to the philosophical community of derek parfit. He was elected to a prize fellowship at all souls college, oxford, and had become a senior research fellow by 1984. In derek parfit publication of parfits first book, reasons and persons 1984, created a sensation among englishspeaking academic philosophers, who were impressed by its originality, its intricate and ingenious argument, its immense fertility, and its panoramic scope. Derek parfit s reasons and persons is considered a must read in contemporary ethics. It was a mark of dereks generosity that, despite his eminence in the field, he could often be found talking. The author claims that we have a false view of our own nature. I really need some help on this one, what is a small summary of the article that makes sense. Reasons and persons kindle edition by parfit, derek. This book challenges, with several powerful arguments, some of our deepest beliefs about rationality, morality, and personal identity.
It is the longawaited followup to derek parfits 1984 book reasons and persons, one of the landmarks of twentiethcentury philosophy. It presents a powerful new treatment of reasons and rationality, and a critical examination of three systematic moral theories immanuel kants ethics, contractualism, and consequentialism leading to a groundbreaking synthetic conclusion. I shall continue to exist if and only if this particular brain. On what matters is a major work in moral philosophy. Argues whether an outcome could be made worse by the mere addition of extra people who have lives worth living. Reasons and persons challenges, with several powerful arguments, some of our deepest beliefs about rationality, morality, and personal identity. Commentary about derek parfits book reasons and persons part three personal identity iacopo vettori. If we were identical to our cerebrums, parfits main argument against the selfinterest theory would be undercut in the same way that it would be if we were identical to our whole brains. In this edition, page numbers are just like the physical edition. Challenging, with several powerful arguments, some of our deepest beliefs about rationality, morality, and personal identity, derek parfit claims that we have a false view about our own nature. The text is thought to be read together with the text of parfit, otherwise it may result obscure in some. Kieran setiya, times literary supplementvery few works in the subject can compare with parfits in scope, fertility, imaginative resource, and cogency of reasoning.
Then we have two plausible views of personal identity. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this reasons and persons study guide and get instant access to the following analysis. For many years, derek made this department another philosophical home, and during his time here he greatly enriched the lives of his faculty colleagues and students. Commentary about derek parfits book reasons and persons. Parfit describes what he calls the standard view of the existence of ordinary material objects, like billiard balls p. Challenging, with several powerful arguments, some of our deepest beliefs about rationality, morality, and personal identity, derek parfit claims that we have a. Reasons and motivation derek parfit and john broome iderek. His second book, on what matters 2011, was widely circulated and discussed for many years before its publication. The book is entitled reasons and persons because parfit holds that in various ways our reasons for acting should become more impersonal. About the author derek parfit is a research fellow at all souls college. This book, on moral philosophy, is the longawaited followup to reasons and persons, one of the landmarks of twentiethcentury philosophy.
Reasons and persons is a 1984 book by the philosopher derek parfit, in which the author discusses ethics, rationality and personal identity it is divided into four parts, dedicated to selfdefeating theories, rationality and time, personal identity and responsibility toward future generations. Parfit, reasons and persons university of tennessee. Reasons and persons is a 1984 book by the philosopher derek parfit, in which the author discusses ethics, rationality and personal identity. Applied to persons, this is the view that the existence of persons over time consists in. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this reasons and persons study guide and get instant access to the following. Derek parfit discussing personal identity in the documentary. Pdf parfit, circularity, and the unity of consciousness. It is divided into four parts, dedicated to selfdefeating theories, rationality and time, personal identity and responsibility toward future generations.
Nov 07, 2014 derek parfit discussing personal identity in the documentary brainspotting christopher grau. Parfit now presents a powerful new treatment of reasons, rationality, and normativity, and a critical examination of three systematic moral theories kants ethics, contractualism, and consequentialism. Fast dispatch, carefully packaged, worldwide delivery. Parfit thinks that if there is such a thing as personal identity, and if it does have great importance, then some view must be able to meet both of 1 and 2.
Buy ebook reasons and persons by derek parfit, ebook format, from the dymocks online bookstore. The belief that, unless questions about identity have an answer, we cannot answer certain important questions about matters such as survival, memory and responsibility. The problem is that it is basically only accessible for those who are already experienced with ethics, and particularly the dense work of many of his predecessors, particularly henry sidgwick, to whom parfit is often compared on the dust jacket. Recall that we have adopted reductionism for purposes of argument. Trading since 1879, blackwell of oxford is the largest academic and specialist bookseller in the uk. I knew about this book through the comments i read. He wrote several books during his lifetime including reasons and persons and on what matters. Parfit s magnum opus, a masterful exploration of the issue of personal identity and its implications for moral. Reasons and persons is divided into four sections, of which i think the 3rd and 4th are the most fun and interesting. Very few works in the subject can compare with parfits in scope, fertility, imaginative resource, and cogency of reasoning. But for those planning to read parfit s masterwork of moral philosophy, i would like to offer two words of warning. In this first volume parfit presents a powerful new treatment of reasons and rationality, and a critical examination of three systematic moral theories kants ethics, contractualism, and consequentialism. Locke does not give us an account of personal identity, but rather an account of how a person can survive as another person or persons.
The first two systematically showing that ethical egoism and commonsense intuitions about morality are incoherent and that consequentialism solve all the problems these two bases of morality contain. He asked questions about which actions are right or wrong and shied away from metaethics, which focuses more on logic and language in part i of reasons and persons parfit discussed selfdefeating moral theories, namely the selfinterest theory of rationality and two. It is the longawaited followup to derek parfit s 1984 book reasons and persons, one of the landmarks of twentiethcentury philosophy. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Reasons and persons derek parfit oxford university press. According to the simple view, personal identity is quite unlike the identity of ships or nations. And, in line with parfits proposal, as generations go on we would say less and less that grandparents and so on survive through currently living persons. First talk on parfit for sju ol philosophy of death. In his recent work, parfit returns to the examination of the nonidentity problem, but this time not in the context of a theory of value but as part of a scanlonian theory of reasons for action. Parfits conditions suggest, as he notes, that certain important questions, such as that of survival, can be solved without reliance on the notion of identity. It is often rational to act against our own best interersts, he argues, and most of us have moral views that are selfdefeating. It is often rational to act against our own best interersts, he argues, and most of us have. The belief that questions about identity must have a true answer.
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