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A review by mx_remy
Ethics: A Very Short Introduction by Simon Blackburn
2.0
This is no sort of introduction. By that, I don't mean to say the content is too advanced for a novice. That would be a fault, but a much nicer one than this book exhibits. For an example of the problem here, the book manages to never actually clarify the difference between 'ethics' and 'morals'. That's despite using both terms throughout. I know the difference now; 30 seconds of googling managed to pin it right down.
One would think, in a book subtitled 'A Very Short Introduction', that the author would have more than enough data to flesh things out. Yet for some reason this book meanders through personal viewpoints and intuitions, as if it were a guide to his particular stance. It's lacking in actual data and consensus based assessment.
That said... I did learn some things, enjoy some historical thought experiments, and assess some of my beliefs. This is not one of the few books I consider unworthy of being read. Had it been published with an entirely different name and premise, I might even have enjoyed it.
One would think, in a book subtitled 'A Very Short Introduction', that the author would have more than enough data to flesh things out. Yet for some reason this book meanders through personal viewpoints and intuitions, as if it were a guide to his particular stance. It's lacking in actual data and consensus based assessment.
That said... I did learn some things, enjoy some historical thought experiments, and assess some of my beliefs. This is not one of the few books I consider unworthy of being read. Had it been published with an entirely different name and premise, I might even have enjoyed it.