Joel Marks is emeritus hoogleraar filosofie en een vaste ethiekcolumnist voor het tijdschrift Philosophy Now. Zijn werk duikt in de complexiteit van ethiek en biedt lezers inzichtelijke perspectieven op morele dilemma's. Zijn benadering is erop gericht om diepere reflectie te inspireren over de ingewikkelde vraagstukken van onze huidige wereld.
The book presents a unique argument for Kantian ethical theory, emphasizing its application to nonhuman animals. It also provides a thorough critique of consequentialism, asserting that it fails to meet a crucial meta-ethical standard necessary for its theoretical soundness. Through these discussions, the author seeks to highlight the relevance of Kantian ethics in contemporary moral debates.
The book presents a compelling argument for the subjectivity of all values, positing that human interactions can thrive when acknowledging this perspective. It outlines a constructive approach to living a fulfilling life without relying on traditional notions of right and wrong, good and bad, or truth and falsity. Through this framework, the author encourages readers to explore a more flexible and pragmatic way of navigating their lives and relationships.
The book presents a compelling defense of amorality, arguing for its philosophical justification and practical viability. It challenges both new atheism and contemporary ethical philosophy for their uncritical acceptance of morality. By advocating for a shift from traditional moral language to one centered on desire, the author seeks to redefine human existence within a naturalistic framework, urging a reevaluation of outdated moral connotations.
Focusing on the relevance of ethics to both business and daily life, this collection of thirty-three essays challenges the notion that ethics is subjective. Drawing from the author's experience in teaching ethics, the book includes previously published op-ed columns that address a range of topics from personal experiences to current events. Its conversational tone makes complex ideas accessible to students and the general public, while educators will appreciate the practical classroom examples and additional resources available on the accompanying website.
This book challenges the widespread assumption that the ethical life and society must be moral in any objective sense. In his previous works, Marks has rejected both the existence of such a morality and the need to maintain verbal, attitudinal, practical, and institutional remnants of belief in it. This book develops these ideas further, with emphasis on constructing a positive alternative. Calling it “desirism”, Marks illustrates what life and the world would be like if we lived in accordance with our rational desires rather than the dictates of any actual or pretend morality, neither overlaying our desires with moral sanction nor attempting to override them with moral strictures. Hard Atheism and the Ethics of Desire also argues that atheism thereby becomes more plausible than the so-called New Atheism that attempts to give up God and yet retain morality.