Shelly Kagan is a professor of philosophy at Yale University. His work systematically reviews alternative positions concerning the basic rules of morality and their possible foundations. Kagan challenges widely shared beliefs about the requirements of morality. His research currently focuses on the geometry of desert.
There is one thing we can be sure of: we are all going to die. But once we accept that fact, the questions begin. This book examines the myriad questions that arise when we confront the meaning of mortality. Do we have reason to believe in the existence of immortal souls? Can we make sense of the idea of surviving the death of one's body?
Challenging conventional beliefs about morality, the author argues against the notion that there are limits to the sacrifices we should make for the greater good. Through a critical examination of common moral intuitions, the analysis questions the justification for certain actions being deemed morally forbidden, even in the pursuit of overall benefit. By dissecting the arguments for limited moral obligations and absolute prohibitions, the author presents a thought-provoking critique of fundamental aspects of everyday moral reasoning.
The book offers a comprehensive exploration of normative ethics, focusing on fundamental factors and the various theories that seek to clarify their moral significance. It systematically examines competing perspectives, providing insights into the foundational elements of ethical reasoning and the underlying justifications for moral principles.
Shelly Kagan argues for a hierarchical position in animal ethics where people count more than animals do, and some animals count more than others. In arguing for his account of morality, Kagan sets out what needs to be done to establish our obligations toward animals and to fulfil our duties to them.
This book is an accessible defence of the belief in objective morality. Most books on metaethics-the part of moral philosophy that investigates the existence and nature of morality-primarily discuss problems that particularly intrigue specialists in the field. Answering Moral Skepticism focuses instead on examining the worries about morality that are more likely to trouble ordinary reflective individuals.