What Philosophy Can Do by Gary Gutting

What Philosophy Can Do by Gary Gutting

In What Philosophy Can Do, Gary Gutting leaves the ivory tower to tackle difficult questions in everyday life and shows how philosophy can be used as a method for interrogating our world—and one another. He looks at why today’s political debates are so polarised, why scientific research on happiness does not make us happier and whether there are convincing reasons to believe—or not believe—in God. Gutting takes the most powerful—and divisive—forces in our society: politics, science, religion, art and capitalism—and applies a philosopher’s scalpel to reveal thoughtful ways to look at vexing issues. He introduces readers to analytical tools, from inductive and deductive logic to the principle of charity, that they can apply to news events and policy debates. Gutting underlines philosophy’s great promise for enriching public discussions about the most important issues in human life.

"This book is a brilliant demonstration of what philosophy can do and how it is essential to human integrity and identityGutting's is a distinctly American voice: straightforwardly intelligent, generously sympathetic, but always forcefully critical, without ever being mean or scornful. Reading this book, one feels whole clouds of dogma and nonsense suddenly evaporate and one sees the landscape of a whole series of debates. Highly recommended." -- Simon Critchley, co-editor of The Stone Reader: Modern Philosophy in 133 Arguments "With this splendid book, Gary Gutting joins the great tradition of leading philosophers who venture from the ivory tower to speak with the public. Covering a range of topics-politics, science, religion (including atheism), art, and more-What Philosophy Can Do never condescends, never tries to evade the difficult. With wit and flair, Gutting shows how philosophical thinking permeates life's decisions and can enrich our overall personal sense of worth and happiness." -- Michael Ruse, Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy, Florida State University "Clearheaded, sensible, and teacherly in the best sense, Gutting in What Philosophy Can Do accomplishes what American philosophy today too rarely attempts-he illuminates how leading academic thinkers see ideas such as science, happiness, work, God, evil, capitalism and education in a voice any open-minded reader can appreciate." -- Carlin Romano, author of America The Philosophical

Gary Gutting (1942—2019) was the John A. O’Brien Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. He edited Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, was a contributor to the New York Times’s philosophy blog, The Stone, and was the author of What Philosophy Can Do.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780393242270
ISBN 10	0393242277
Title	What Philosophy Can Do
Author	Gary Gutting
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	WW Norton & Co
Year published	2015-10-23
Number of pages	320
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable