Richard Norman – författare

The Moral Philosophers adopts a historical approach to moral philosophy, taking in chronological sequence some of the major ethical philosophers of the past. Richard Norman introduces the thought of each figure as a coherent and comprehensive ethical theory, exploring their richness and complexity. Each theory is critically examined and presented as an attempt to surmount some of the deficiencies of its predecessor; and through this critical process the book moves towards some concluding suggestions about the content of an acceptable ethical theory.This new edition includes four new chapters: one on Nietzsche, and three which provide substantially extended coverage of twentieth-century moral philosophy, including discussions of contemporary utilitarianism, rights-based ethical theories, contractarian ethics and virtue ethics, and recent debates between realism and anti-realism in ethics.The Moral Philosophers is designed for undergraduate students and the general reader, and is written in clear and non-technical language. It is intended for use as a basic text in an introductory course on ethics, with detailed recommended reading sections at the beginning of each chapter.

Understanding Humanism is an easy-to-read and informative overview of the beliefs, practices, and values of humanism as a non-religious worldview. This short and lively book explores humanism both as a broad historical tradition of thought and as a stance embodied in organised institutions. It sets out clearly and systematically the beliefs and values of humanism as well as the reality and personal experience of living as a humanist today. Questions discussed in this book include: How do humanists see the relation between science and religious belief? Is humanism wedded to science as the only valid form of knowledge?What value do humanists place on the arts, and can they value religious art?Does the emphasis on human responsibility depend on an untenable belief in 'free will', and is this undermined by psychology and neuroscience? Do humanists think that life is sacred?What account would humanists give of the basis of human rights, and why they are important?Does humanism entail that human life is meaningless and pointless? Can humanists meet the challenge of nihilism?Understanding Humanism provides a reliable and easily digestible introduction to the field. By exploring these questions and inviting readers to engage with the arguments, it serves as the ideal textbook for those approaching the topic of humanism for the first time.

Understanding Humanism is an easy-to-read and informative overview of the beliefs, practices, and values of humanism as a non-religious worldview. This short and lively book explores humanism both as a broad historical tradition of thought and as a stance embodied in organised institutions. It sets out clearly and systematically the beliefs and values of humanism as well as the reality and personal experience of living as a humanist today. Questions discussed in this book include: How do humanists see the relation between science and religious belief? Is humanism wedded to science as the only valid form of knowledge?What value do humanists place on the arts, and can they value religious art?Does the emphasis on human responsibility depend on an untenable belief in 'free will', and is this undermined by psychology and neuroscience? Do humanists think that life is sacred?What account would humanists give of the basis of human rights, and why they are important?Does humanism entail that human life is meaningless and pointless? Can humanists meet the challenge of nihilism?Understanding Humanism provides a reliable and easily digestible introduction to the field. By exploring these questions and inviting readers to engage with the arguments, it serves as the ideal textbook for those approaching the topic of humanism for the first time.

What is humanism and why does it matter? Is there any doctrine every humanist must hold? If it rejects religion, what does it offer in its place? Have the twentieth century’s crimes against humanity spelled the end for humanism?On Humanism is a timely and powerfully argued philosophical defence of humanism. It is also an impassioned plea that we turn to ourselves, not religion, if we want to answer Socrates’ age-old question: what is the best kind of life to lead? Although humanism has much in common with science, Richard Norman shows that it is far from a denial of the more mysterious, fragile side of being human. He deals with big questions such as Darwinism and ‘creation science’, matter and consciousness, euthanasia and abortion, and then argues that it is ultimately through the human capacity for art, literature and the imagination that humanism is a powerful alternative to religious belief.This revised second edition includes a new chapter on the debates between ‘the New Atheists’ such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens and their religious critics, asking why the two sides in the debate so often seem to be talking past one another, and suggesting how the conversation could be made more fruitful.Richard Norman is a committed humanist and the author of many books including The Moral Philosophers and Ethics, Killing and War. He was formerly Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kent, Canterbury

Can war ever be justified? Why is it wrong to kill? In this new book Richard Norman looks at these and other related questions, and thereby examines the possibility and nature of rational moral argument. Practical examples, such as the Gulf War and the Falklands War, are used to show that, whilst moral philosophy can offer no easy answers, it is a worthwhile enterprise which sheds light on many pressing contemporary problems. A combination of lucid exposition and original argument makes this the ideal introduction to both the particular debate about the ethics of killing and war, and also to the fundamental issues of moral philosophy itself.

The divide in our societies between those who are religious and those who are not is becoming increasingly apparent in many areas of contemporary life. This fascinating book, based on conversations between religious and nonreligious participants, asks if societies divided on such fundamental questions can nonetheless find some common ground.A rich array of topics is explored, including the linguistic complexities of using the concept of ‘God’, the relation between science and religion, the ethics of altruistic concern, sexuality and gender roles, and the possibility of shedding light on important positions often taken to be intractable or nonnegotiable. In addition, topics of a more reflective nature, but also prone to polarise, are also examined, such as spiritual experience and practice, mindfulness, the arts, and the nature of human consciousness.Religion and Atheism in Dialogue will interest anyone who is concerned about the current tensions and even conflicts exhibited between religious and secular positions on a range of key issues, and how it might be possible to move beyond them. It will also be of interest to students of ethics, philosophy of religion, and religious studies and all those who are concerned to explore how better dialogue across differences might be possible.

The divide in our societies between those who are religious and those who are not is becoming increasingly apparent in many areas of contemporary life. This fascinating book, based on conversations between religious and nonreligious participants, asks if societies divided on such fundamental questions can nonetheless find some common ground.A rich array of topics is explored, including the linguistic complexities of using the concept of ‘God’, the relation between science and religion, the ethics of altruistic concern, sexuality and gender roles, and the possibility of shedding light on important positions often taken to be intractable or nonnegotiable. In addition, topics of a more reflective nature, but also prone to polarise, are also examined, such as spiritual experience and practice, mindfulness, the arts, and the nature of human consciousness.Religion and Atheism in Dialogue will interest anyone who is concerned about the current tensions and even conflicts exhibited between religious and secular positions on a range of key issues, and how it might be possible to move beyond them. It will also be of interest to students of ethics, philosophy of religion, and religious studies and all those who are concerned to explore how better dialogue across differences might be possible.

This title was first published in 2002. Was the bombing of Belgrade morally justified as an attempt to halt 'ethnic cleansing' in Kosovo'? Should Western states have tried to prevent the slaughter in Rwanda? Are there, indeed, genuinely universal 'human rights' which could justify such interventions, or is the upholding of such rights simply the imposition of culturally specific values on other cultures? Is national sovereignty a necessary and legitimate impediment to intervention, or are we seeing the emergence of a 'new international order' in which national boundaries are less significant? These and related ethical and political questions are addressed from a wide variety of perspectives by the contributors to this book. The answers presented form important reading for students and researchers in philosophy and in international relations, and for anyone interested in the difficult questions about whether and when other states may intervene in a country's internal affairs in order to uphold human rights.

This title was first published in 2002. Was the bombing of Belgrade morally justified as an attempt to halt 'ethnic cleansing' in Kosovo'? Should Western states have tried to prevent the slaughter in Rwanda? Are there, indeed, genuinely universal 'human rights' which could justify such interventions, or is the upholding of such rights simply the imposition of culturally specific values on other cultures? Is national sovereignty a necessary and legitimate impediment to intervention, or are we seeing the emergence of a 'new international order' in which national boundaries are less significant? These and related ethical and political questions are addressed from a wide variety of perspectives by the contributors to this book. The answers presented form important reading for students and researchers in philosophy and in international relations, and for anyone interested in the difficult questions about whether and when other states may intervene in a country's internal affairs in order to uphold human rights.

What is humanism and why does it matter? Is there any doctrine every humanist must hold? If it rejects religion, what does it offer in its place? Have the twentieth century’s crimes against humanity spelled the end for humanism?On Humanism is a timely and powerfully argued philosophical defence of humanism. It is also an impassioned plea that we turn to ourselves, not religion, if we want to answer Socrates’ age-old question: what is the best kind of life to lead? Although humanism has much in common with science, Richard Norman shows that it is far from a denial of the more mysterious, fragile side of being human. He deals with big questions such as Darwinism and ‘creation science’, matter and consciousness, euthanasia and abortion, and then argues that it is ultimately through the human capacity for art, literature and the imagination that humanism is a powerful alternative to religious belief.This revised second edition includes a new chapter on the debates between ‘the New Atheists’ such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens and their religious critics, asking why the two sides in the debate so often seem to be talking past one another, and suggesting how the conversation could be made more fruitful.Richard Norman is a committed humanist and the author of many books including The Moral Philosophers and Ethics, Killing and War. He was formerly Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kent, Canterbury

Arguments between those who hold religious beliefs and those who do not have been at fever pitch. They have also reached an impasse, with equally entrenched views held by believer and atheist - and even agnostic - alike. This collection is one of the first books to move beyond this deadlock. Specially commissioned chapters address major areas that cut across the debate between the two sides: the origin of knowledge, objectivity and meaning; moral values and the nature of the human person and the good life; and the challenge of how to promote honest and fruitful dialogue in the light of the wide diversity of beliefs, religious and otherwise. Under these broad headings leading figures in the field examine and reflect upon: Secular and religious humanismThe idea of the sacredThe vexed issue of science in both religious and secular accounts of knowledgeSpirituality for the godlessNon-western perspectives on the atheism/theism debate. A key feature of the collection is a dialogue between Raymond Tallis and Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury. Religion and Atheism: Beyond the Divide will interest anyone who is concerned about the clash between the religious and the secular and how to move beyond it, as well as students of ethics, philosophy of religion and religious studies.

Arguments between those who hold religious beliefs and those who do not have been at fever pitch. They have also reached an impasse, with equally entrenched views held by believer and atheist - and even agnostic - alike. This collection is one of the first books to move beyond this deadlock. Specially commissioned chapters address major areas that cut across the debate between the two sides: the origin of knowledge, objectivity and meaning; moral values and the nature of the human person and the good life; and the challenge of how to promote honest and fruitful dialogue in the light of the wide diversity of beliefs, religious and otherwise. Under these broad headings leading figures in the field examine and reflect upon: Secular and religious humanismThe idea of the sacredThe vexed issue of science in both religious and secular accounts of knowledgeSpirituality for the godlessNon-western perspectives on the atheism/theism debate. A key feature of the collection is a dialogue between Raymond Tallis and Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury. Religion and Atheism: Beyond the Divide will interest anyone who is concerned about the clash between the religious and the secular and how to move beyond it, as well as students of ethics, philosophy of religion and religious studies.

Religious belief is declining in many parts of the world, yet people still seek purpose in their lives and guidance on how to navigate life’s challenges. Humanism is a broad tradition of thought and action which encourages thinking for yourself about what to believe and accommodating diversity. What is the purpose of humanism in an increasingly secular world?Written by a pre-eminent authority in this field, this book shows how humanism’s purpose is to help people to meet their need to understand the world around them. Given the growing demand for humanist funerals, weddings and baby naming ceremonies, it will help both existing adherents and the “humanism-curious” to contextualise its potential role in making sense of their lives.

(re)Pebbling: A Story of Blackness and Curling is a sharp, stylish, and soul-stirring glide through the unspoken rules of curling.Intimate reflections from the life of Richard Norman, brought to life by the art of Jon Olbey, set the stage for the chilly welcome racialized players face at the curling rink and the unnerving murmur of lounge talk. This graphic novel cracks open the culture of the sport to ask questions about its future and whether clubs are willing to do the work to make their spaces inclusive.With equal parts insight and irreverence, (re)Pebbling reimagines curling as a site of cultural collision, a space where the house isn’t always a home, and the ice holds stories most haven’t dared to tell. In a visual journey through the world of sport you didn’t know you needed, author Richard Norman honestly reflects on our past, boldly interrogates our present, and dares to imagine what a real future of belonging in sport could look like.

(re)Pebbling: A Story of Blackness and Curling is a sharp, stylish, and soul-stirring glide through the unspoken rules of curling.Intimate reflections from the life of Richard Norman, brought to life by the art of Jon Olbey, set the stage for the chilly welcome racialized players face at the curling rink and the unnerving murmur of lounge talk. This graphic novel cracks open the culture of the sport to ask questions about its future and whether clubs are willing to do the work to make their spaces inclusive.With equal parts insight and irreverence, (re)Pebbling reimagines curling as a site of cultural collision, a space where the house isn’t always a home, and the ice holds stories most haven’t dared to tell. In a visual journey through the world of sport you didn’t know you needed, author Richard Norman honestly reflects on our past, boldly interrogates our present, and dares to imagine what a real future of belonging in sport could look like.

Despite the continuing dominance of market relations and market forces in contemporary society, there remain fundamental questions about the ethical acceptability of markets and their effects. This collection, based on the 1998 conference of the Society for Applied Philosophy, brings philosophical analysis and argument to bear on these questions. Papers in the first half of the volume examine the relation between the market and central ethical concepts - concepts of value, quality of life, quality of environment, community, equality of opportunity and morality itself. In the second part, the focus is on the relation between markets and specific social phenomena such as privatization, poverty and exclusion, the ’ethical consumer’ movement and the operation of market principles in the National Health Service. The views and arguments presented in the papers do not stem from any single moral or philosophical perspective, but together they add up to a comprehensive review of the ethical problems raised by market societies. The book will be of interest to students and researchers in philosophy, economics, business studies, politics and social theory and to anyone interested in the effect of market forces on the quality of our lives.

Present-day astronomy, vast, complex, is looking through darkness to distant objects and times. Yet its discoveries aren't exclusively scientific: from the moons of Pluto to the Doppler effect, the night sky screens a place where math meets myth. Now, in Zero Kelvin, in scenes that shift from the mountains of Goma to the mountains of the moon, from galaxies that feast upon their neighbours to a solar sail unfurling above Earth's orbit, Richard Norman's poetry probes both newly glimpsed corners of the universe, and the myths which bring them into focus. Experiment It is a human urge-- to orbit backwards at great speed. Experimentally, you do it and then the crack of lightning, the open-ended snowflake, splits the sky. Just as the sculptor cut the fat off space, you going backwards renders time. Seconds drop like filings when a magnet is turned off. Praise for Zero Kelvin "All at once the elements collapse and expand, become inseparable and remote, beautiful and terrifying -- this is what Richard Norman's poems do to us.We feel stars, those tiny suns, as words blazing through the page; like dust or sand they leave a residue in our thoughts, worlds deep, so we might inadvertently carry them to work, or to the bed of a lover. Here is where language consumes us, absolute and intangible, between reality and myth." --Leigh Kotsildis, author of Hypotheticals