A.C. Grayling

Un lúcido y esclarecedor ensayo sobre las opciones éticas a las que todos debemos confrontarnos en la vida

He begins with the often-violent conflicts of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries - involving the likes of Torquemada, Servetus, Zwingli and Castellio - which were sparked by the pursuit of freedom of thought, uncontrolled by the Church and the Inquisition. In time, this drive towards greater independence and individual liberty led to bitter fighting in seventeenth-century Europe, including the Thirty Years'' War and the English Civil War. Then, in part arising from the English constitutional settlement of 1688, came the eighteenth-century revolutions in America and France that swept away monarchies in favour of more representative forms of government. These in turn made possible the abolition of slavery, and later, rights for working men and women, universal education, the enfranchisement of women, and the idea of universal human rights and freedoms. Each of these struggles was a memorable human drama, and Grayling skilfully interweaves the stories of celebrated and little-known heroes alike, including Martin Luther, John Locke, Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Rosa Parks, whose bus protest became the catalyst of the US civil rights movement.The triumphs and sacrifices of these hard-won victories should make us value these precious rights even more highly, especially in an age when, as Grayling shows, democratic governments under pressure sometimes find it necessary to restrict rights in the name of freedom.

¿PODEMOS LOS HUMANOS PONERNOS DE ACUERDO EN UN CONJUNTO DE VALORES QUE NOS PERMITAN ABORDAR LAS NUMEROSAS AMENAZAS A LAS QUE NOS ENFRENTAMOS?¿O CONTINUAREMOS CON DESACUERDOS, CONFLICTOS Y HOSTILIDADES MIENTRAS NOS ACERCAMOS A NUESTRA POSIBLE EXTINCION?Para responder a estas preguntas, A.C. Grayling reflexiona sobre los tres desafios que considera mas urgentes: el cambio climatico, la tecnologia y la justicia, y reconoce que no hay un sistema de valores universales para determinar que hacer y que no respecto a estas cuestiones. En un mundo en que los fenomenos climaticos extremos son cada vez mas frecuentes, los avances en inteligencia artificial y en tecnologia militar se aceleran y las desigualdades se acentuan, Grayling plantea una pregunta cada vez mas urgente: ¿es posible alcanzar un acuerdo global para retos globales? LA SOLUCION QUE PROPONE ES TAN PRAGMATICA COMO INSPIRADORA.

The story of the life and work of Englands greatest essayist and key figure in Regency England.William Hazlitt is Englands greatest essayist. He was also a philosopher, a painter, a controversialist and a radical, whose critical writings about literature, the theatre and art were ardently admired in his day. He is the author of the first confessional autobiography of sexual passion, a biographer of Napoleon, a friend of, and profound influence upon, Keats, Stendhal, and Charles Lamb, a friend and later enemy of Coleridge, Wordsworth, and De Quincy, and a key figure in the intellectual life of Regency England. His life was lived against the backdrop of the French Revolution and subsequent Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, with their associated political and literary radicalism in England.

'The unconsidered life is not worth living' - Socrates. Thinking about life, what it means and what it holds in store does not have to be a despondent experience, but rather can be enlightening and uplifting. A life truly worth living is one that is informed and considered so a degree of philosophical insight into the inevitabilities of the human condition is inherently important and such an approach will help us to deal with real personal dilemmas. This book is an accessible, lively and thought-provoking series of linked commentaries, based on A. C. Grayling's 'The Last Word' column in the Guardian. Its aim is not to persuade readers to accept one particular philosophical point of view or theory, but to help us consider the wonderful range of insights which can be drawn from an immeasurably rich history of philosophical thought. Concepts covered include courage, love, betrayal, ambition, cruelty, wisdom, passion, beauty and death. This will be a wonderfully stimulating read and act as an invaluable guide as to what is truly important in living life, whether facing success, failure, justice, wrong, love, loss or any of the other profound experience life throws out.

Following the huge success of THE MEANING OF THINGS and THE REASON OF THINGS, a third collection of bestselling essays from Britains top philosopher.Human genius has done much, and promises much, in the way of removing the mystery from many things in our world; at the same time it recognises and honours the mystery in things too.In this collection A.C. Grayling extends the range of his previous two books to show how much understanding people can gain about themselves and their world by reflecting on the lessons offered by science, the arts (including literature) and history. Covering subjects as diverse as Jane Austens EMMA, the Rosetta Stone, Shakespeare, the Holocaust, quantum physics, Galileo, and even alien abductions, A..C. Graylings latest collection is a rich source for reflection and contemplation over the mysteries of life.

Leading philosophers guide to the ideas that will shape the 21st centuryIdeas are the cogs that drive history, and understanding them is half way to being aboard that powerful juggernaut rather than under its wheels. This is a book that celebrates the power of ideas: thought can, and does, change the world. And, in turn, ideas evolve. Fundamentalism, environmentalism and bioethics are defining our future just as Marxism, feminism or existentialism have influenced our present. So what do we need to know as we move into the 21st century? More than a simple reference work, this is A.C. Graylings personal and heartfelt guide to the ideas, past and present, that shape our world. Covering religion, philosophy, scientific theory and political movements, each alphabetically ordered entry illuminates, elucidates and provokes. Written with Graylings customary fire and erudition, the result is a book that aims both to arm readers with knowledge and engage them in philosophical debate.

The new bestseller from one of Britains most pre-eminent philosophers and arguably the best known, A.C. GraylingEveryone wishes to live a life that is satisfying and fulfilling, in which there is achievement and pleasure, and which has the respect of people one, in turn, respects. And one of the fundamentals to living such a life is to reflect on the choices we make.In this new collection, A.C. Grayling invites the reader into a conversation with ideas. From personal questions about happiness and quality of life to wider public concerns such as war and democracy, these essays provide a springboard to thought and to exploring what is best about the human heart and mind.

A refreshing distillation of insights into the human condition, by one of the best-known and most popular philosophers in the UK.Thinking about life, what it means and what it holds in store does not have to be a despondent experience, but rather can be enlightening and uplifting. A life truly worth living is one that is informed and considered so a degree of philosophical insight into the inevitabilities of the human condition is inherently important and such an approach will help us to deal with real personal dilemmas.This book is an accessible, lively and thought-provoking series of linked commentaries, based on A. C. Graylings The Last Word column in the GUARDIAN. Its aim is not to persuade readers to accept one particular philosophical point of view or theory, but to help us consider the wonderful range of insights which can be drawn from an immeasurably rich history of philosophical thought.Concepts covered include courage, love, betrayal, ambition, cruelty, wisdom, passion, beauty and death. This will be a wonderfully stimulating read and act as an invaluable guide as to what is truly important in living life, whether facing success, failure, justice, wrong, love, loss or any of the other profound experience life throws out.

The follow-up to THE MEANING OF THINGS which continues A.C. Graylings philosophical journey through lifeThe most important question we can ask ourselves is: what kind of life is the best? This is the same as asking: How does one give meaning to ones life? How can one justify ones existence and make it worthwhile?How does one make experience valuable, and keep growing and learning in the process - and through this learning acquire a degree of understanding of oneself and the world? A civilised society is one which never ceases debating with itself about what human life should best be. Some would, with justice, say that if we want ours to be such a society we must all contribute to that discussion.This book is, with appropriate diffidence, such a contribution. It consists of a collection of Graylings regular Last Word columns in the Guardian. This time topics include Suicide, Deceit, Luxury, Profit, Marriage, Meat-eating, Liberty, Slavery, Protest, Guns and War.

Duty or Pleasure? This was the legendary choice which faced Hercules and which pre-eminent philosopher A.C. Grayling uses as the starting point of this masterful book.He shows us how much more people can understand about themselves and their world by reflecting on todays moral challenges. Above all, he explores the idea that certain demands and certain pleasures are necessary, not just because of their intrinsic merits but because of what they do for each other. With exceptional clarity and unrivalled prose, Grayling addresses the everyday ethical choices which confront us all.

A.C. Grayling answers the most important question - How do we live a good life?One of the most fundamental questions in our life is to find out what we value - what principles we want to live by and which codes we will use to guide our behaviour. Most of us want to live a good life. But what, in todays secular society, does good actually mean?To classical Greeks, the acquisition of knowledge, the enjoyment of the senses, creativity and beauty were all aspects of life to strive for. Then came the volcanic declarations of St Paul and his fundamentalist ideas on sin and human nature. In WHAT IS GOOD?, A.C. Grayling examines these and other proposals on how to live a good life, from the heroic ideals of the Greek poets to Kants theories on freedom and the UN Declaration on Human Rights.

¿PODEMOS LOS HUMANOS PONERNOS DEáACUERDO EN UN CONJUNTO DE VALORES QUEáNOS PERMITAN ABORDAR LAS NUMEROSASáAMENAZAS A LAS QUE NOS ENFRENTAMOS?¿O CONTINUAREMOS CON DESACUERDOS,áCONFLICTOS Y HOSTILIDADES MIENTRAS NOSaACERCAMOS A NUESTRA POSIBLE EXTINCION?Para responder a estas preguntas, A.C. Grayling reflexionaasobre los tres desafios que considera mas urgentes: elacambio climatico, la tecnologia y la justicia, y reconoceaque no hay un sistema de valores universales para determinaraque hacer y que no respecto a estas cuestiones.En un mundo en que los fenomenos climaticos extremosason cada vez mas frecuentes, los avances en inteligenciaaartificial y en tecnologia militar se aceleran y las desigualdadesase acentuan, Grayling plantea una pregunta cadaavez mas urgente: ¿es posible alcanzar un acuerdo globalapara retos globales?LA SOLUCION QUE PROPONE ES TANaPRAGMÇTICA COMO INSPIRADORA.

Las ideas son los engranajes que hacen avanzar la historia, para bien o para mal. Comprender las creencias, cosmovisiones, ideas científicas y teorías filosóficas influyentes forma parte del equipamiento necesario para los ciudadanos comprometidos.Este libro celebra el poder del pensamiento para cambiar el mundo y concibe las ideas como engranajes que hacen avanzar la historia. Conceptos como el fundamentalismo, la globalizacion o la bioetica definen nuestro futuro tanto como el marxismo, el existencialismo o la teoria de la evolucion han influenciado el presente que vivimos. Estos y muchos otros conceptos forman el bagaje necesario para entender las ideas mas influyentes del mundo actual, los debates contemporaneos y las teorias que subyacen a ellos. Ciencia, filosofia, politica, religion y ciencias sociales son los ambitos que recorre este maravilloso compendio de las ideas, cuya amplia vision consigue anular la brecha abierta entre ciencia y humanidades y superar los tecnicismos abstrusos que abundan en el mundo especializado de hoy. El resultado es una serie de ensayos breves, escritos con claridad y precision por uno de los pensadores europeos mas comprometidos/influyentes del momento. Absolutismo, amor, anarquia, bioetica, Islam, laicismo, neurofilosofia, sociobiologia, taoismo, terapia cognitiva o xenofobia son algunas de las mas de cien entradas, ordenadas alfabeticamente, de un libro que, ademas de ser un diccionario de ideas, es un marco de referencia excelente para vivir plenamente la historia de un mundo en continuo proceso de cambio: el S.

Cervantes, Shakespeare, Donne, Milton, Moliere, Cyrano de Bergerac, Descartes, Bacon, Spinoza, Locke, Pascal, Galileo, Caravaggio, Rubens, El Greco, Rembrandt, VermeerEl siglo xvii en Europa redirigio el curso de la historia humana al cambiar la perspectiva de la humanidad acerca del universo y de si misma. Es desconcertante que esta gran explosion de ingenio se diera en una centuria tan turbulenta: una epoca de guerras, de disturbios civiles y de continuacion de los conflictos religiosos tras la Reforma, que fueron perturbadores y destructivos hasta un punto nunca visto antes en la historia de Europa. ¿Como se entiende que floreciera tal talento en ese contexto? ¿Explica lo tumultuoso del siglo esa genialidad y los cambios que tuvieron lugar entonces? ¿O tal vez hubiera habido incluso mas innovaciones de haberse tratado de un tiempo de paz?En este agitado periodo, la ciencia se movio desde la alquimia y la astrologia de John Dee hasta el minucioso trabajo y la astronomia de Galileo, desde el clasicismo aristotelico hasta la investigacion basada en la evidencia de la Royal Society. A pesar de eso, los usos antiguos aun persistian y afectaban a la nueva mentalidad: Newton, el hombre que entendia la gravedad y las leyes del movimiento todavia estuvo, despues de todo, fascinado hasta el final de su vida por la alquimia.