{"product_id":"would-you-kill-the-fat-man-the-trolley-problem-and-what-your-answer-tells-us-about-right-and-wrong-paperback","title":"Would You Kill the Fat Man?: The Trolley Problem and What Your Answer Tells Us about Right and Wrong - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eDavid Edmonds\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the bestselling coauthor of \u003ci\u003eWittgenstein's Poker\u003c\/i\u003e, a fascinating tour through the history of moral philosophy\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA runaway train is racing toward five men who are tied to the track. Unless the train is stopped, it will inevitably kill all five men. You are standing on a footbridge looking down on the unfolding disaster. However, a fat man, a stranger, is standing next to you: if you push him off the bridge, he will topple onto the line and, although he will die, his chunky body will stop the train, saving five lives. Would you kill the fat man? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe question may seem bizarre. But it's one variation of a puzzle that has baffled moral philosophers for almost half a century and that more recently has come to preoccupy neuroscientists, psychologists, and other thinkers as well. In this book, David Edmonds, coauthor of the bestselling \u003ci\u003eWittgenstein's Poker\u003c\/i\u003e, tells the riveting story of why and how philosophers have struggled with this ethical dilemma, sometimes called the trolley problem. In the process, he provides an entertaining and informative tour through the history of moral philosophy. Most people feel it's wrong to kill the fat man. But why? After all, in taking one life you could save five. As Edmonds shows, answering the question is far more complex--and important--than it first appears. In fact, how we answer it tells us a great deal about right and wrong.\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Lucid, witty, and beautifully written, this book is a pleasure to read. While providing an introduction to moral philosophy, it also presents engaging portraits of some of the greatest moral philosophers from Thomas Aquinas to the present day, and it makes the case for the relevance to ethics of the new experimental moral psychology. It is a tour de force.\"\u003cb\u003e--Kwame Anthony Appiah, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This is a splendid work. You shouldn't expect it to resolve all your trolley problems but you can look forward to a romping mix of fine humor, intriguing anecdote, and solid argument. It's a sheer joy to read.\"\u003cb\u003e--Philip Pettit, Princeton University and Australian National University\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"David Edmonds has a remarkable knack for weaving the threads of philosophical debates into an engaging story. \u003ci\u003eWould You Kill the Fat Man?\u003c\/i\u003e is a stimulating introduction to some key ethical issues and philosophers.\"\u003cb\u003e--Peter Singer, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Life You Can Save: How to Do Your Part to End World Poverty\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"David Edmonds's new book, \u003ci\u003eWould You Kill the Fat Man?\u003c\/i\u003e, is both highly informative and a delight to read. Written in a clear, engaging, and witty style, it succeeds admirably in making various fascinating and important debates in philosophy and psychology accessible to a broad readership.\"\u003cb\u003e--Jeff McMahan, Rutgers University\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This is a highly engaging book. David Edmonds's reflections are full of insight and he provides fascinating biographical background about the main players in the history of the trolley problem, in a style reminiscent of his very successful \u003ci\u003eWittgenstein's Poker\u003c\/i\u003e.\"\u003cb\u003e--Roger Crisp, University of Oxford\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDavid Edmonds is the author, with John Eidinow, of the best-selling \"Wittgenstein's Poker,\" as well as \"Rousseau's Dog\" and \"Bobby Fischer Goes to War.\" The cofounder of the popular Philosophy Bites podcast series, Edmonds is a senior research associate at the University of Oxford's Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics and a multi-award-winning radio feature maker at the BBC. He holds a PhD in philosophy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 240\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.7 x 8.4 x 5.4 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 22, 2015\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51761527423264,"sku":"9780691165639","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/6d631341b6dc6fb66e0cc9b97dfba31d.webp?v=1780209689","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/would-you-kill-the-fat-man-the-trolley-problem-and-what-your-answer-tells-us-about-right-and-wrong-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}