Philosophers Take on the World
Edited by David Edmonds, OUP, £12.99
Applied ethics is sometimes dismissed as the poor relation of more esoteric and supposedly loftier philosophical pursuits. The journeymen tackle quotidian issues while the master craftsmen focus on the deep stuff. This is a very silly perspective given why philosophy was invented in the first place: to help us understand and live the good life. It also overlooks the fact that applied ethics can be a decidedly rigorous and sophisticated endeavour, though this provokes a different set of problems.
