Can't
We Make Moral Judgements?
Mary Midgley
Synopsis
In this book Ms. Midgley's
"purpose is to defend moral judgment itself. . . . {She posits} inconsistency
in the position of those who reject moral judgments . . . {and} argues
that the moral dimension of our existence is both inescapable and salutary."
(N Y Times Book Rev) Index.
Reviews
From D.W. Black - Choice
Midgley speaks to the general
reader who may have an interest in the dilemmas of ethics but who feels
uncomfortable with technical argumentation. . . .She does a particularly
good job of explaining the difference between relativism and subjectivism--an
important distinction for the novice. Her discussions of Nietzsche and
Sartre, although basic and a bit simplistic, open the reader's mind to
the strengths and weaknesses of a subjectivist morality. Midgley draws
not only from philosophy but from the mystery novels of P.D. James, JaneGoodall's
studies of chimpanzees, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Bible. . . . Although
parts of this book are clearly written, sometimes Midgley's writing becomes
a bit affected and opaque.
From Francis Kane - The New York Times
Book Review
{This book} is part of a British
series,
'Mind Matters,' whose purpose . . . 'is not "Philosophy Made Easy" but
rather "Philosophy Made Intelligible."' That aptly describes Ms. Midgley's
book, which succeeds rather admirably in guiding us through difficult,
often serpentine intellectual terrain without watering down the content
or patronizing the reader. . . . I have but a few caveats, and I mention
them reluctantly. . . . {The author's} few comments about religion are
at best puzzling, at worst rather facile. . . . Finally, I wonder if she
does not too easily excuse the modern perpetrators of amoralism. . . .
But that is not a matter of major consequence. . . . If you find yourself
suspicious of any sort of moral judgments, then you need this book. Is
that a moral judgment? Thanks to Ms. Midgley, I can say, without shyness:
You bet it is.
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