The Ethical Imagination: Journeys of the Human Spirit

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

I hope the cover of this book, as well as the words and ideas within, might stimulate insights. For me, the bird on the man's shoulder symbolizes the human spirit, imagination, freedom, and the capacity and courage to explore physical, intellectual, and spiritual unknowns It's hard to tell whether the bird is a pigeon (a messenger) or a dove (a symbol of harmony, love, and peace), but in either case she's an ordinary, everyday bird. As such, she carries the message that all of us, not just a 'chosen few,' need to exercise our ethical imaginations and engage in journeys of the human spirit." -from The Ethical Imagination In the 2006 CBC Massey Lectures, renowned ethicist Margaret Somerville asked- What does it mean to be human today, when mind-altering scientific breakthroughs are challenging our ideas of ourselves, how we relate to others and the world, and how we find meaning in life Somerville touches upon controversial topics such as new reproductive technologies, genetic modification, and transhumanism. And she eloquently proposes that it is only by undertaking a journey of the imagination-by heeding our stories, myths, and moral intuiti

Author Bio

Margaret Somerville is the founding director of the Centre for Medicine, Ethics, and Law at McGill University, where she holds the Samuel Gale Chair in the Faculty of Law and is a professor in the Faculty of Medicine. She is a graduate of The University of Adelaide and the 1973 Medallist in Law at The University of Sydney, and is the recipient of many honours, honorary doctorates and awards, including the Order of Australia and the UNESCO Avicenna Prize for Ethics in Science. She lives in Montreal, Canada.