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Ought Implies Kant: A Reply to the Consequentialist Critique
$55.00
Ought Implies Kant offers an original defense of the ethical theory of Immanuel Kant, and develops an extension of that theory's account of moral duty to include direct duties to nonhuman animals. The discussion centers on a critical examination of consequentialism, the view that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined solely by its consequences. Kantianism, by contrast, claims that the core of ethics is to treat all persons--or, in Joel Marks's view, all living beings--as ends-in-themselves. The consequentialist criterion would seem to permit, indeed require, violating the dignity of persons (not to mention the dignity of other animals) if this would result in a better outcome. This volume treats the consequentialist challenge to Kantian ethics in several novel ways. To begin with, the utilitarian version of consequentialism is delineated and defended by means of a conceptual device dubbed by the author as the Consequentialist Continuum. Marks then provides an exhaustive and definitive exposition of the relatively neglected Epistemic Objection to utilitarianism. While acknowledging the intuitive appeal of utilitarianism's core conviction--that we should always do what is for the best--Marks argues that this is an impossible injunction to fulfill, or even to attempt to fulfill, because all of the relevant results of our actions can never be known. Kantianism is then introduced as a viable alternative account of our ethical obligations. Marks argues that Kantianism is well within the scope of normal human competence and conforms equally well to our ethical intuitions once the theory's proper interpretation is appreciated. However, Kant's own version must be extended to accommodate the rightful moral consideration we owe to nonhuman animals. Finally, Marks employs the notion of a Consequentialist Illusion to explain utilitarianism's hold on our moral intuitions, while developing a form of Consequentialist Kantianism to address them. An original and penetrating examination of a central debate in moral philosophy, this book will be of interest to philosophical ethicists, upper-level and graduate philosophy students, and the intellectual reading public.

Chapter 9
$1.99

Pin/Shock-Worker of Communist Labor Badge [Made in Russia. Materials: painted and lacquered aluminum] [In the 1960's, Soviet workers, farmers, and other citizens began to receive awards for their efforts in building Communism, including this Shock-Worker of Communist Labor pin. The imagery combines symbols of the factory and the farm, while Lenin stares determinedly out at the horizon. The word used for worker ("udarnik") implies that this particular worker was exceptionally successful or productive. About 23 million people were recognized this way -- but you don't have to wait for government approval to wear your own celebrated worker pin!]
$6.99
In the 1960's, Soviet workers, farmers, and other citizens began to receive awards for their efforts in building Communism, including this Shock-Worker of Communist Labor pin. The imagery combines symbols of the factory and the farm, while Lenin stares determinedly out at the horizon. The word used for worker ("udarnik") implies that this particular worker was exceptionally successful or productive. About 23 million people were recognized this way -- but you don't have to wait for government approval to wear your own celebrated worker pin!

Asking Questions: Using meaningful structures to imply ignorance
$65.00
Asking Questions examines a central phenomenon of language -- the use of sentences to ask questions. Although there is a sizable literature on the syntax and semantics of interrogatives, the logic of "questions", and the speech act of questioning, no one has tried to put the syntax and semantics together with the speech acts over the full range of phenomena we pretheoretically think of as asking questions. Robert Fiengo not only does this, but also takes up some more foundational issues in the theory of language.
By positioning the findings of contemporary grammatical theorizing within the larger domain of language use, Fiengo challenges the use theorist to acknowledge the importance of grammatical form and the grammarian to acknowledge the importance of use. In addition to developing an Austinian distinction between four questioning speech-acts, and a proposal concerning the philosophy of language, Asking Questions contains a useful discussion of the type-token distinction and how use of language compares with use of other things. Fiengo also considers the nature of multiple questions, revealing what one must know to ask them, and what speech acts one may perform when asking them.
Asking Questions advances our understanding of a wide range of issues in a number of important respects. Scholars and students of linguistics and philosophy will find plenty to interest them in this pioneering work.