Illuminating Philosophy: Stories Beyond Boundaries

(Paperback)

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In these 25 true stories, a widely published philosopher recounts 60 years of interaction with people in all walks of life some extremely famous, others complete strangers from hospitals to restaurants, concert halls to airplanes, in private conversations and nationally broadcast interviews. Stories can be heartbreaking, distracting, funny, shocking, inspiring, revealing, and sometimes unforgettable and all those attributes appear here. Theres no substitute for learning what its like to be someone else, to see the world as that other person does and reconsider our own views in light of that learning. These compelling and accessible stories motivate and enable us to do that, illuminating the unexpected relationships among all domains of human concern, the wellsprings of creativity, the elusive character of good judgment, and the pathways to social justice. They help us see more clearly what we care most about: deep features of human character and difficult choices, of social structures, of the power of imagination, of how to take account of the importance of what cannot be counted, and of bogus boundaries and assumptions that can repress clear thinking in any domain. These stories will make the reader more powerful in service of those values.

Author Bio

Samuel Gorovitz is a former dean of Arts and Sciences, Syracuse University. He is founding director of the Rene Crown University Honors Program (20042010) and professor of philosophy at Syracuse. He was a leader in the development of medical ethics and has published extensively on topics in philosophy and public policy. He has given more than 200 invited lectures on five continents, and has consulted for PBS, WHO, and many federal agencies. Dr. Gorovitz has been interviewed on programs such as All Things Considered, Larry King, Studs Terkel, and quoted in magazines from Ladies Home Journal to the New Yorker. He has published more than 130 articles, reviews, and editorials in philosophical journals, medical journals, public policy journals, and newspapers. He is author of Doctors Dilemmas: Moral Conflict and Medical Care (Oxford, 1985) and Drawing the Line: Life, Death, and Ethical Choices in an American Hospital (Oxford, 1991; Temple 1993), and many academic books. His degrees include B.S. MIT, 1960; Ph.D. Stanford, 1963; Honorary Doctor of Science, SUNY, 2016. Arthur L. Caplan is professor of bioethics and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University Grossman School of Medicine and is the author and editor of more than 35 books. He helped found the National Marrow Donor Program and is widely known for multiple contributions to public policy on health care. He is a regular commentator on Boston Public Radio, CNN, and Everyday Ethics podcast, and contributor to WebMDs Medscape.