Practical Ethics: A Collection Of Addresses And Essays

by Henry Sidgwick

Practical A Collection of Addresses and Essays is a book written by the British philosopher and moral theorist, Henry Sidgwick. Originally published in 1898, this book contains a collection of essays and lectures that Sidgwick gave throughout his career on various ethical and moral issues.The book is divided into three parts, each dealing with a different aspect of practical ethics. The first part focuses on the foundations of ethics, including discussions on the nature of moral obligation, the meaning of moral terms, and the relationship between morality and religion.The second part of the book deals with specific ethical issues, such as the morality of lying, the ethics of punishment, and the moral implications of war. Sidgwick presents a rigorous and thoughtful analysis of each issue, drawing on his extensive knowledge of moral philosophy and his own ethical beliefs.The third and final part of the book is a collection of addresses and essays on various topics related to practical ethics. These include discussions on the ethics of democracy, the role of ethics in education, and the importance of ethics in social and political life.Throughout the book, Sidgwick presents a nuanced and thoughtful approach to ethical issues, emphasizing the importance of reason and impartiality in moral decision-making. His writing is clear and accessible, making this book an excellent resource for anyone interested in the study of ethics and moral philosophy.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Philosophy

268 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1977

About the author

Henry Sidgwick (1838-1900) was an English utilitarian philosopher and economist. He was the Knightbridge Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Cambridge from 1883 until his death, and is best known in philosophy for his utilitarian treatise The Methods of Ethics. He was one of the founders and first president of the Society for Psychical Research and a member of the Metaphysical Society and promoted the higher education of women. His work in economics has also had a lasting influence.

Reviews

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sidgwick provides a really strong complement to his work Methods of Ethics with this collection. It feels like a breath of hope in the intellectual failure of the philosopher. Two essays in the book are actually about the failure inherent in the study of ethics.

There’s also two essay on religion and veracity. To anyone aware of Sidgwick’s long history -of religious doubts and his own history of refusing adherence to religious dogma which resulted in the lost of his livelihood- these essays will seems very personal like the two first speech on ethical societies.

Nonetheless the book gives a good insight into an applied view of the utilitarianism of Sidgwick. It touches topics that Sidgwick has tackled his whole life. These essays shine in the collection.

Much can be said about this collection, yet it is to often put aside when it was clearly important to the author and so deeply connected with his own personal life. This is not the mythical tale of Methods of Ethics, but it the closing chapter in the intellectual life of this ethicist.

“Thus, even a man who said, “Evil, be thou my good”, and acted accordingly, might have only an obscured consciousness of the awful irrationality of his action -obscured by a fallacious imagination that his only chance of being in any admirable, at the point of which he has now reached in his downward course, must lie in candid and consistent wickedness”