We call many things sacred, from cows, churches and paintings to flags and burial grounds. Is it still meaningful to talk of things being sacred, or is the idea merely a relic of a bygone religious age? Does everything - and every life - have its price? Is Nothing Sacred? is a stimulating and wide-ranging debate about some of the major moral dilemmas facing us today, such as the value of human life, art, the environment, and personal freedom. Packed with clearly presented controversial issues, we are asked to decide whether we should revere life when someone chooses to die, preserve the giant California redwoods, cherish Vermeer's originals for their own sake, or curtail personal freedom for the greater good. Ronald Dworkin argues that the concept of the scared is essential to any human ethics, and Simon Blackburn explains why he thinks 'a humanist should not feel guilty at the emotions of awe and reverence that can be inspired by great religious works of art. Throughout, the idea of the sacred in a secular age is hotly debated amongst the authors and put to the test: should it be abandoned altogether, or does it still have something to teach us?Is Nothing Sacred? brings together outstanding philosophers and thinkers, including Suzanne Uniacke, Michael Clark, Alan Holland, Simon Blackburn, Richard Dawkins, Richard Norman, Alan Howarth, Nigel Warburton, Matthew Kieran and John Harris.
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A controversial debate on the place of values in a secular age, between some of the most outstanding thinkers of our day - including Richard Dawkins, Simon Blackburn and Ronald Dworkin.
Introduction, Ben Rogers; Chapter 1 Nature, Science, and the Sacred, Richard Norman; Chapter 2 Is Nature Sacred?, Alan Holland; Chapter 3 Is Art Sacred?, Nigel Warburton; Chapter 4 Art and the Limitations of Experience, Matthew Kieran; Chapter 5 Is Life Sacred?, Suzanne Uniacke; Chapter 6 The Sacred and the Profane, Simona Giordano, John Harris; Chapter 7 Is Liberty Sacred?, Alan Haworth; Chapter 8 The Limits of Liberty, Michael Clark; Chapter 9 The Idea of the Sacred, Piers Benn; Chapter 10 Salvaging the Sacred, Simon Blackburn; Chapter 11 The Sacred and the Scientist, Richard Dawkins; Chapter 12 The Concept of the Sacred, Ronald Dworkin;
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'A collection that demands to be read by anyone with an interest in philosophy, even (perhaps especially) if they have a faith' – David Self, Times Educational Supplement'Outstanding' – Bel Mooney, The Times'This is a collection that demands to be read by anyone with an interest in philosophy.' – Times Education Supplement
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780415304849
Publisert
2004-08-20
Utgiver
Vendor
Routledge
Vekt
181 gr
Høyde
198 mm
Bredde
129 mm
Aldersnivå
G, U, 01, 05
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
158

Redaktør

Biographical note

Ben Rogers is based at the Institute for Public Policy Research in London. He is the author of Beef and Liberty: Beef, Bull and English Patriots (2003), A J Ayer: A Life (1999) and Pascal (1998).