Bernard Williams

From his earliest work - on personal identity - to his last - on the value of truthfulness - Bernard Williams´ ideas and arguments have been sometimes controversial, often influential, and always worth studying. Mark Jenkins provides a comprehensive account of Williams´ many significant contributions to contemporary philosophy and his relation to the work of other philosophers, including prominent forerunners such as Hume and Nietzsche and contemporary thinkers such as, Nagel, McDowell, MacIntyre, and Taylor. Topics considered include personal identity, various critiques of moral theory, practical reasoning and moral motivation, truth and objectivity, and the relevance of ancient Greece to modern life. While Williams´ work is fragmentary and resistant to familiar labels, Jenkins reveals the recurring themes and connections within his writings, and the philosophical underpinnings to his work.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ix
1 Introduction: "Against the shortsighted" 1
2 Personal identity 9
3 Critique of utilitarianism 27
4 Critique of the morality system 53
5 Practical reason 87
6 Truth, objectivity and knowledge 121
7 The ancient world 149
8 Conclusion: "a pessimism of strength?" 183
Bibliography 191
Index 199