Reasons and Persons - Derek Parfit - Google Books

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	Reasons and Persons

Derek Parfit
OUP Oxford, Jan 23, 1986 - Philosophy - 560 pages
 2 Reviews

This book challenges, with several powerful arguments, some of our deepest beliefs about rationality, morality, and personal identity. The author claims that we have a false view of our own nature; that it is often rational to act against our own best interests; that most of us have moral views that are directly self-defeating; and that, when we consider future generations the conclusions will often be disturbing. He concludes that moral non-religious moral philosophy is a young subject, with a promising but unpredictable future.


 		 
	


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LibraryThing Review
User Review  - dono421846 - LibraryThingI've often felt this book has not received the attention that it deserves. While not exactly what one would call an easy read, the arguments overwhelm the reader and, perhaps, permanently change one's views. Read full review

LibraryThing Review
User Review  - m.a.harding - LibraryThingan essential book Read full review





Selected pages

Title Page

Table of Contents

Index

References




Contents
	RATIONALITY AND TIME
	115
	  	
	PERSONAL IDENTITY
	197
	  	
	FUTURE GENERATIONS
	349
	  	
	CONCLUDING CHAPTER
	443
	  	
	APPENDICES
	457
	  	



	Notes
	505
	  	
	Bibliography
	533
	  	
	Index of Names
	541
	  	
	Copyright
	
	  	








Other editions - View all
		Reasons and Persons
Derek Parfit
Limited preview - 1987

	



		Reasons and Persons
Derek Parfit
Limited preview - 1984

	



		Reasons and Persons
Derek Parfit
No preview available - 1984

	




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Common terms and phrases
accept achieve acting irrationally acting wrongly answer appeal apply argued argument assume bad effects benefit brain and body cause cease to exist child choice Common-Sense Morality concern Consequentialist Consider continued existence deny Derek Parfit desires discuss disposition fulfil further fact give happens happiness harm Hedonistic imagined implies involve irrational justified kind later less matters Mere Addition Paradox moral reason moral theory Nagel never self-denying Non-Reductionist View objection outcome better outcome worse outweighed pain past personal identity plausible possible Present-aim Theory Prisoner's Dilemmas psychological connectedness psychological continuity Psychological Criterion pure do-gooders question reasons for acting Reductionist View reject relation Replica Repugnant Conclusion resulting person revised S-Theorist self-defeating Self-interest Theory separately existing entities series-person Sidgwick Social Discount Rate someone stream of consciousness suffering Suppose Teletransportation temporally neutral theories about self-interest Theorist threat-fulfiller transitive relation true Utilitarians worth living wrong



Bibliographic information

	Title	Reasons and Persons
	Author	Derek Parfit
	Publisher	OUP Oxford, 1986
	ISBN	0191622443, 9780191622441
	Length	560 pages
	Subjects	Philosophy
 › History & Surveys
 › Modern


Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy
Philosophy / History & Surveys / Modern
	 	 
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