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Parfit
- A Philosopher and His Mission to Save Morality
- Narrated by: Zeb Soanes
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
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Parfit
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Summary
This audiobook narrated by Zeb Soanes paints an entertaining and illuminating portrait of a brilliant philosopher who tried to rescue morality from nihilism
Derek Parfit (1942–2017) is the most famous philosopher most people have never heard of. Widely regarded as one of the greatest moral thinkers of the past hundred years, Parfit was anything but a public intellectual. Yet his ideas have shaped the way philosophers think about things that affect us all: equality, altruism, what we owe to future generations, and even what it means to be a person. In Parfit, David Edmonds presents the first biography of an intriguing, obsessive, and eccentric genius.
Believing that we should be less concerned with ourselves and more with the common good, Parfit dedicated himself to the pursuit of philosophical progress to an extraordinary degree. He always wore gray trousers and a white shirt so as not to lose precious time picking out clothes, he varied his diet as little as possible, and he had only one serious non-philosophical interest: taking photos of Oxford, Venice, and St. Petersburg. In the latter half of his life, he single-mindedly devoted himself to a desperate attempt to rescue secular morality—morality without God—by arguing that it has an objective, rational basis. For Parfit, the stakes could scarcely have been higher. If he couldn’t demonstrate that there are objective facts about right and wrong, he believed, his life was futile and all our lives were meaningless.
Connecting Parfit’s work and life and offering a clear introduction to his profound and challenging ideas, Parfit is a powerful portrait of an extraordinary thinker who continues to have a remarkable influence on the world of ideas.
Critic reviews
“In his monumental biography of the moral philosopher Derek Parfit, David Edmonds renders the movements of a quicksilver mind, the allure of a charismatic personality, the drama of a cloistered life.”—Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind
What listeners say about Parfit
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- Auguste Dupin
- 15-07-24
Interesting biography but not much philosophy
I listened to this book on a longish drive, hoping to get a bit more insight into Parfit's philosophy. Unfortunately for me the philosophy takes a back seat here and it is more about Parfit's life. It is definitely interesting, a fascinating account of life in a very rarified part of academia -- I am myself an academic in a good school and my life is not at all like Parfit's. There is some basic account of his philosophy and some of his key influences. I enjoyed the book.
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- Tim
- 26-07-23
outstanding biography of great moral philosopher,
loved it. beautifully performed, entertaining and informative life of one of the greatest philosophers of our time
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-02-24
Wonderful
A well written and beautifully read account of an eccentric soul and his work. I have a layman's grasp of philosophy, and no real knowledge of Parfit's ideas, and found this delightful.
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- Anonymous User
- 19-09-23
Excellent
An Illuminating account and deftly written and paced very well throughout. I’d heartily recommend it.
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- MRS E G DRURY
- 14-06-24
Interesting man
Liked descriptions of his thought processes The academic life was
clearly set out All Souls college very important for philosophy
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