The essays in this book, drawn mainly from A. C. Grayling's columns in Prospect, the Dubliner and The Times, are in fact responses to questions set by editors and readers.
~ 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.
