Thinking of Answers

Thought-provoking short essays by Britain's leading public philosopher that show us how to discover our own answers to life's challenges



'While most philosophy is written in abstruse and ponderous prose, Grayling's is a model of clarity and elegance' The Times



'An enthusiastic thinker who embraces humour, common sense and lucidity' Independent



~ If beauty existed only in the eye of the beholder, would that make it an unimportant quality?

~ Are human rights political?

~ Can ethics be derived from evolution by natural selection?

~ If both sides in a conflict can passionately believe that theirs is the just cause, does this mean that the idea of justice is empty?

~ Does being happy make us good? And does being good make us happy?

~ Are human beings especially prone to self-deception?



As in his previous books of popular philosophy, including the best-selling The Reason of Things and The Meaning of Things, rather than presenting a set of categorical answers Grayling offers instead suggestions for how to think about every aspect of a question, and arrive at one's own conclusions. As a result Thinking of Answers is both an enjoyable and inspirational collection.