Free Will: A Guide for the Perplexed (Guides for the Perplexed) - Softcover

Mawson, T. J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1441102094 ISBN 13: 9781441102096

Publisher: Continuum, 2011

Synopsis

International development is now more topical than ever. Billions of dollars have been given in grants or spent on the infrastructure of the development industry. The global aid and trade industry is gigantic and high-profile. It is also hugely controversial. Trade deals are accused of being 'unfair'. Aid agencies are suspected of wasting funds, or engaging with corrupt regimes, or encouraging dependency. Despite the vast amounts of political capital spent on international development, it remains unclear what works and what doesn't. Global inequality remains stark. Economic analysis can help resolve some of these issues. But some of the questions raised are of a more fundamental nature. They are issues of fairness, equity, right and wrong. The Ethics of Trade and Aid demonstrates how political philosophy provides us with insights often passed over in modern development jargon. Christopher Wraight scrutinises the trade and aid industry through the lens of philosophy and ultimately shows that a compassionate, rational and humane engagement with the global economy does hold the promise of a better, more equal life.

About this title

Review:

"An engagingly-written and thought-provoking introduction to the free will problem, full of innovative examples and arguments; and at the same time an original defense of a distinctive libertarian view of free will." -- Robert Kane, University Distinguished Teaching Professor of Philosophy Emeritus and Professor of Law at The University of Texas at Austin, and editor of The Oxford Handbook of Free Will.

"Stimulating and engaging: Mawson is a genial guide, drawing the reader into an extended conversation on a perennially perplexing problem of philosophy. The standard ground is covered, but with regular original touches - and, if perplexity is not removed altogether by Mawson's common sense defence of an agent-causalist libertarianism, at least it will be a perplexity better understood." -- John Bishop, Professor of Philosophy, The University of Auckland, New Zealand

Timothy Mawson's book is a valuable contribution to this series, introducing the reader to the fascinating but often complex philosophical issues pertaining to the discussion of free will.

About the Author:

T. J. Mawson is Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at St Peter's College, Oxford University, UK. He is the author of Belief in God: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion (2005).

About this edition

• Publisher: Continuum
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1441102094
• ISBN 13: 9781441102096
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 204