Gregory S. McElwain – författare

For over 40 years, Mary Midgley made a forceful case for the relevance and importance of philosophy. With characteristic wit and wisdom, she drew special attention to the ways in which our thought influences our everyday lives. Her wide-ranging explorations of human nature and the self; our connections with animals and the natural world; and the complexities of morality, gender, science, and religion all contributed to her reputation as one of the most expansive and compelling moral philosophers of the twentieth century. Mary Midgley: An Introduction is the first substantive introduction to Midgley's influential philosophy on the human condition. This volume, supplemented by original interviews with Midgley, outlines the concepts and perspectives for which she is best known and illuminates the philosophical problems to which she devoted her life's work.

Mary Midgley is one of the most influential moral philosophers of the twentieth century. Over the last 40 years, Midgley’s writings on such central yet controversial topics as human nature, morality, science, animals, the environment, religion, and gender have shaped the landscape of contemporary philosophy. She is celebrated for the complexity, nuance, and sensibility with which she approaches some of the most challenging issues in philosophy without falling into the pitfalls of close-minded extremism. In turn, Midgley’s sophisticated treatment of the interconnected and often muddled issues related to human nature has drawn interest from outside the philosophical world, stretching from scientists, artists, theologians, anthropologists, and journalists to the public more broadly. Mary Midgley: An Introduction systematically introduces readers to Midgley’s collected thought on the most central and influential areas of her corpus. Through clear and lively engagement with Midgley’s work, this volume offers readers accessible explanation, interpretation, and analysis of the concepts and perspectives for which she is best known, most notably her integrated understanding of human nature, her opposition to reductionism and scientism, and her influential conception of our relationship to animals and the wider world. These insights, supplemented by excerpts from original interviews with Midgley herself, provide readers of all backgrounds with an informed understanding and appreciation of Mary Midgley and the philosophical problems to which she has devoted her life’s work.

Mary Midgley (1919–2018) stands as one of the most influential and wide-ranging moral philosophers of the twentieth century.For more than four decades, she championed the relevance of philosophy to everyday life, while making profound contributions to debates on human nature, ethics, animals and the environment, science, religion, and other pressing real-world issues. Her extraordinary career produced over 250 works - books, articles, pamphlets, and more - culminating in What Is Philosophy For?, published at the age of 99, just one month before her death. This final work completed a remarkable late-career series that secured her reputation as a distinctive voice and a powerful example of women’s enduring presence in philosophy.Mary Midgley on What Matters offers an intimate glimpse into this vibrant period of Midgley’s life. Drawing on a series of visits and conversations between Gregory McElwain and Midgley at her Newcastle home from 2011 to 2018, the book presents her reflections, anecdotes, and concerns on the themes for which she is best known - with particular attention to her influential views on animals and the environment. Framed and curated by McElwain, these dialogues capture Midgley’s wit, warmth, and intellectual vitality, giving readers the rare experience of engaging with one of the most spirited philosophers of recent memory.