On what matters
by Derek Parfit · first published 2009
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This is the follow-up to Derek Parfit's 1984 book 'Reasons and Persons'. Parfit presents a powerful new treatment of reasons, rationality, and normativity, and a critical examination of three systematic moral theories - Kant's ethics, contractualism, and consequentialism - leading to his own ground-breaking synthetic conclusion.
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On What Matters by Derek Parfit. Happened to be vol. 1, but vol. 2 is also fantastic. Honestly, Reasons & Persons would also make a fine gift.
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗I like Parfit's writing. His two most important books are probably Reasons and Persons and On What Matters. In On What Matters,[1] he suggests a new ethical theory which is a synthesis of consequentialism, Kantian deontology, and social contract theory. [1]: A nice EPUB: http://gen.lib.rus.ec/book/index.php?md5=35E9FA954593C060F52...
on “Derek Parfit has died” ↗…is a foolish thing to do. This isn't a direct answer to your concern, but it might reduce how important free will is to you. If you're interested on the account I just summarized, see Derek Parfit's On What Matters, Vol 1 Section 38: "The Freedom that Morality Requires" (or just reply and I'll give my best attempt at answering).
on “How Fear and Outrage Are Sold for Profit” ↗> Better by what metric? Better for whom? From Derek Parfit's On What Matters, chapter 126 (Has It All Been Worth It?): > If someone dies a slow and painful death, it would have been both better for this person, and impersonally better, if this person’s life had ended earlier.…
on “The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better” ↗…in a very specific area by way of a brand new book. For example, the year prior to my arrival they read thru a "Climbing the Mountain", an early draft of the book that would eventually become Parfit's "On What Matters". Anyway, my year all picked "Describing Inner Experience", and this would become my introduction to an ultimately useful view that opened the world of CogSci to me since assumptions I had (which can…
on “The disunity of consciousness in everyday experience” ↗