Book Club: Practical Philosophy — 1 — What is practical philosophy?

Time to get started on another book, folks! I propose four sessions on John Haldane’s Practical Philosophy: Ethics, Society and Culture (St. Andrews Studies in Philosophy and Public Affairs, 2009). Haldane is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

According to Martha Nussbaum’s endorsement of the book, “Haldane eloquently makes the case for an approach to ethics that is distinctively practical — thought with a view to action (as contrasted with theoretical thought that might possibly be applied to the domain of action). For his part, Alasdair MacIntyre writes: “What resources can philosophy bring to bear, when its enquiries are not theoretical, but practical? In Practical Philosophy Haldane answers this question in a brilliant survey of key issues, showing us how a variety of theories can obscure or distort our view of the practical realities of life, family, and society. With admirable clarity he also shows us how philosophy can rescue us from such theorizing.”

It’s not an easy book, though it can be approached by someone with no background in philosophy. And some of the positions Haldane takes are most definitely controversial, against the background of a number of contemporary discourses in practical…