Ethics, Life and Institutions: An Attempt at Practical Philosophy
General complaints about moral decay, however frequent and even justified they may be, are of little use. This book does not complain; it acts. Jan Sokol’s Ethics, Life and Institutions applies our ever improving knowledge in various fields to questions of morality in an effort to enhance our ability to discern different moral phenomena and to discuss them more precisely.

With few exceptions, moral philosophy considers the acting person to be an autonomous, independent individual pursuing his or her own happiness. But in the context of social institutions—for example, in workplaces—it is often an organization’s goals, not an individual’s, that take precedence. In complex networks of organizations, morals take a different shape. Divided into three parts, this book begins by exploring basic notions such as freedom, life, responsibility, and justice, and their relationship to practical philosophy; looks to the main schools of Western thought in the search for a common moral foundation; and reintroduces the forgotten idea of biological and cultural heritage—an idea that could prove fundamental in addressing our responsibility not only to human lives, but also to the natural world. In a closing analysis, Sokol brings all of these moral concepts to bear on problems connected to the growing complexity of institutions, offering hope for a practical philosophy for the modern world.
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Ethics, Life and Institutions: An Attempt at Practical Philosophy
General complaints about moral decay, however frequent and even justified they may be, are of little use. This book does not complain; it acts. Jan Sokol’s Ethics, Life and Institutions applies our ever improving knowledge in various fields to questions of morality in an effort to enhance our ability to discern different moral phenomena and to discuss them more precisely.

With few exceptions, moral philosophy considers the acting person to be an autonomous, independent individual pursuing his or her own happiness. But in the context of social institutions—for example, in workplaces—it is often an organization’s goals, not an individual’s, that take precedence. In complex networks of organizations, morals take a different shape. Divided into three parts, this book begins by exploring basic notions such as freedom, life, responsibility, and justice, and their relationship to practical philosophy; looks to the main schools of Western thought in the search for a common moral foundation; and reintroduces the forgotten idea of biological and cultural heritage—an idea that could prove fundamental in addressing our responsibility not only to human lives, but also to the natural world. In a closing analysis, Sokol brings all of these moral concepts to bear on problems connected to the growing complexity of institutions, offering hope for a practical philosophy for the modern world.
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Ethics, Life and Institutions: An Attempt at Practical Philosophy

Ethics, Life and Institutions: An Attempt at Practical Philosophy

Ethics, Life and Institutions: An Attempt at Practical Philosophy

Ethics, Life and Institutions: An Attempt at Practical Philosophy

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Overview

General complaints about moral decay, however frequent and even justified they may be, are of little use. This book does not complain; it acts. Jan Sokol’s Ethics, Life and Institutions applies our ever improving knowledge in various fields to questions of morality in an effort to enhance our ability to discern different moral phenomena and to discuss them more precisely.

With few exceptions, moral philosophy considers the acting person to be an autonomous, independent individual pursuing his or her own happiness. But in the context of social institutions—for example, in workplaces—it is often an organization’s goals, not an individual’s, that take precedence. In complex networks of organizations, morals take a different shape. Divided into three parts, this book begins by exploring basic notions such as freedom, life, responsibility, and justice, and their relationship to practical philosophy; looks to the main schools of Western thought in the search for a common moral foundation; and reintroduces the forgotten idea of biological and cultural heritage—an idea that could prove fundamental in addressing our responsibility not only to human lives, but also to the natural world. In a closing analysis, Sokol brings all of these moral concepts to bear on problems connected to the growing complexity of institutions, offering hope for a practical philosophy for the modern world.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9788024640136
Publisher: Karolinum Press
Publication date: 04/15/2017
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 258
File size: 1 MB

About the Author

A former dissident, translator, and post-1990 Czech politician, Jan Sokol teaches courses in phenomenology, philosophic anthropology, religious science, and anthropology of law at Charles University Prague. He is the author of Thinking about Ordinary Things: A Short Invitation to Philosophy, also published by Karolinum Press. Neil Cairns and Markéta Pauzerová work jointly on translations from Czech into English and are based in Scotland.

Table of Contents

Cover Contents Introduction 1. Practical Philosophy 2. From Words to Terms 2.1 Life Evolution and Evaluation 2.2 The Threefold Model of Freedom 2.3 Freedom and Power Competition, Rivalry and Enmity 2.4 Custom, Morality and Ethics 2.5 Relative, Relativity and Relativism 2.6 Decision and Responsibility 2.7 Justice 3. Main Ideas of Practical Philosophy 3.1 The world in balance Retribution and Compensation The Golden Rule Kant and the Categorical Imperative 3.2 Happiness and Wellbeing Aristotle and Eudaimonia Epicureanism and Hedonism Christianity and Morality Utilitarianism 3.3 The Discovery of the Soul Honour and Conscience Perfection of the Soul Autonomy and Heteronomy 3.4 The Idea of Good and Ethical Realism Good and Evil What is Evil? 3.5 Moral Sense Sentiment and Reason 4. The Ethics of Heritage 4.1 Ancestors and Descendants 4.2 Life as Inheritance 4.3 Heir and Steward Private Heir 4.4 Institutions and Action in Roles Citizen and Employee Acting in a Role Corruption Institutions as Inheritance 4.5 Summary 5. Conclusion Bibliography Index
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