Practical Reality

by Jonathan Dancy

Overview

Practical Reality is a lucid original study of the relation between the reasons why we do things and the reasons why we should. Jonathan Dancy maintains that current philosophical orthodoxy bowdlerizes this relation, making it impossible to understand how anyone can act for a good reason. By giving a fresh account of values and reasons, he finds a place for normativity in philosophy of mind and action, and strengthens the connection between these areas and ethics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199253050
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/02/2003
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 5.42(h) x 0.46(d)

About the Author

Jonathan Dancy is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Reading.

Table of Contents

1. Reasons for Action; 2. Reasons and Desires; 3. Reasons and Beliefs; 4. The Theory of Motivating States; 5. Acting for a Good Reason; 6. As I Believe; 7.Consequential Matters; 8. How Many Explanations?; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"a deep, original, precise, careful and subtly argued work, one that makes an important contribution...required reading for anyone interested in the topic."—Ethics

"Practical Reality is a philosophically rich, densely argued, and (not coincidentally) blessedly short (less than 200 pp.) book."—The Review of Metaphysics

From the Publisher