Toward Better Problems: New Perspectives on Abortion, Animal Rights, the Environment, and Justice"Toward Better Problems is a work of considerable merit.... [Weston] is effective in showing how the 'theoretical' approach obscures the real values at issue and hinders their realization." --James Gouinlock, Emory University In Toward Better Problems, Anthony Weston develops a pragmatic approach to the pressing moral issues of our time. Weston seeks to address practical problems in the spirit of John Dewey: that is, by focusing on specific human concerns and multiple, overlapping values rather than on abstract philosophical principles. Weston showcases his method in sustained discussion of four highly controversial areas: abortion, animal rights, environmentalism, and justice. Weston takes up uncomfortable issues, such as how we raise food animals; test medicines, cosmetics, and chemicals on animals; and justify speciesism. He engages philosophically the treatment of land and seas as limitless garbage dumps, the creation of radioactive wastes and their disposal, and fundamental problems of social justice. But Weston's aim is not to "solve" such problems as if they were some kind of puzzle. The aim instead is to creatively transform such problematic situations into something more promising and tractable, thereby leaving us with "better problems." |
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Toward Better Problems: New Perspectives on Abortion, Animal Rights, the ... Anthony Weston No preview available - 1992 |
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abortion debate actually Animal Rights answer anthropocentric appeal approach argues argument basic become begin Bernard Williams Carol Gilligan chap Chapter choices claim complex concept conflict context course creatures criticism debate Dewey ecological engagement Environmental Ethics ethical problems ethical theory euthanasia example fact fetus fetuses Gilligan Holmes Rolston III human insist institutions integrative intrinsic value invoked kind Kohlberg Kristin Luker least less lives Mary Midgley matter means ment moral nonanthropocentric once particular perhaps personhood persons Peter Singer philosophical political possible practical ethics pragmatic pregnancy principles problem of justice problematic situations proposed puzzles question radical Rawls Rawls's reason recognize reconstructive Regan relativism rethinking seems sense simply Singer social sort speak speciesism specific Stephen Toulmin strategies suffering suggest supposed task tension Theory of Justice thing thinking tion tive Tom Regan traditional University Press utilitarianism values at stake Walzer women York