Synopses & Reviews
What is death? Do people survive death? What do we mean when we say that someone is "dying"? Presenting a clear and engaging discussion of the classic philosophical questions surrounding death, this book studies the great metaphysical and moral problems of death, concluding with a novel consequentialist theory about the morality of killing, applying it to such thorny practical issues as abortion, suicide, and euthanasia.
Review
"Lucid, sensible, and insightful throughout. The criticisms of alternative approaches are particularly penetrating, and the positive suggestions are thoughtful...I have considerable admiration for this fine book. Feldman talks sense about difficult, murky, and perplexing matters." J.M. Fischer, Philosophical Review
Review
"Exceptionally lucid and closely reasoned discussions of the nature of death, from a materialist point of view, and the (dis)value of death, from a consequentialist perspective." Robert Frazier, Philosophical Books
Review
"This book is nearly ideal for engaging students in philosophy. It addresses important and interesting topics, and it is a model of clear thinking. Feldman demonstrates in a way accessible to nonspecialists how to evaluate reasons for a position by casting them in the form of an uncomplicated argument and how to undermine those reasons by constructing a counterexample to a clearly identified premise. The book's frequent summaries make it easy for an undergraduate to follow, and the choice of examples ranges beyond the standard science-fiction cases." Edward Wieranga, Teachign Philosophy
Review
"Confrontations contains useful and provocative contributions to the growing literature on the metaphysics and value of death. The extraordinary clarity of Feldman's style is also one of the books virtues....Feldman has, through clear discussion and illuminating examples, enriched the framework in which philosophers may continue to examine important moral questions concerning death." Stephen E. Rosenbaum, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research
Review
"Replete with imaginative examples, systematic arguments, and some off-beat humoour." Times Literary Supplement
About the Author
Author of
Introductory Ethics (1978),
A Cartesian Introduction to Philosophy (1986), and
Doing the Best We Can: An Essay in Informal Deontic Logic (1986),
Fred Feldman is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.