It is not only in our darkest hours that skepticism, relativism, hypocrisy, and nihilism strike at morality. Whether it is about charity, the fulfillment of duty, or insisting on our rights, we may feel confusion or fear that our principles are unfounded. Many fear that in a world without God, science has revealed us as creatures doomed by our genes to be selfish and tribal, or competitive and aggressive. Simon Blackburn, author of the bestselling book Think, structures this brief introduction around these and other threats to morality. Addressing seven different objections to our self-image as morally upright and well-behaved people, he maps a path through the philosophical marshes that often engulf us. He then, referring to issues of life and death, shows how we should think about the meaning of life and how we must be distrustful of the absolutes that often dominate moral discussions. Finally, he offers a critical tour of the ways in which the philosophical tradition has attempted to provide foundations for morality, from Plato and Aristotle to contemporary discussions.

• Pages: 176
• Dimensions: 12x12cm