A moral history of the twentieth century by jonathan glover and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A moral history of the twentieth century, 1999, jonathan glover the twentieth century was the most brutal in human history, featuring a litany of shameful events that includes the holocaust, hiroshima, the stalinist era, cambodia, yugoslavia, and rwanda. A moral history of the twentieth century 2001, he brings some of these themes together to try to make sense of the disturbing. The result is a book that, as far as i know, is absolutely unique in the literature.
It is both an advantage and a limitation of humanity. A moral history of the twentieth century by jonathan. The 20th century is often described as the most bloody in human history, but rarely are the red drops as carefully catalogued as in jonathan glovers humanity. A moral history of the twentieth century 2001, he brings some of these themes together to try to make sense of the disturbing record of mass brutality and inhumanity that stretches through the last century. The topic is the twentieth century moral history of the human race. Rent humanity a moral history of the twentieth century 2nd edition 9780300186406 and save up to 80% on textbook rentals and 90% on used textbooks. He currently teaches ethics at kings college london. Because of this history, it is or should be hard for thinking about ethics to carry on just as before. Nicholas lezard on jonathan glovers necessary guide to our inhumanity humanity. The book is in essence a survey of various ethically significant cases and situations, topically organized, drawn from twentiethcentury history. One of the books aims is to fill out this idea of humanity.
One of the strongest works of moral philosophy of the last two decades, hu. Glover discusses the ethical ideas used to justify these atrocities, and the. A moral history of the twentieth century yale nota bene. This book is a complex, coherent, and unified analysis of war and peace in the 20th century. The twentieth century was the most brutal in human history, featuring a litany of shameful events that includes the holocaust, hiroshima, the stalinist era, cambodia, yugoslavia, and rwanda. This important book looks at the politics of our times and the roots of human nature to discover why so many atrocities were perpetuated and how we can create a social. Jonathans glovers considerable reputation rests on the philosophical inquiry into the nature of human identity and on his critical deployment of consequentialist ethics to address a number of urgent issues regarding the. An attempt to formulate a new ethics, based on human psychology, that will account for 20th century atrocities and offer some realistic hope that they can be. I like to think that some of the leaders and followers of tomorrow will read humanity. Readers learn of the many complicated interactive ways in which wars are started. A moral history of the 20th century jonathan glover. It examines the psychology which made possible hiroshima, the nazi genocide, rwanda and bosnia. Glovers humanity is a highly accessible and equally balanced work on the history and morality of the 20th century.
A moral history of the twentieth century that it, too, aims at practical theory. A moral history of the twentieth century new ed by glover, jonathan isbn. A gripping account of inhumanity as an attribute inherent to human beings, glovers book is aptly and chillingly titled. If, like me, you have been following the second reading of the armed forces bill. Jonathan glover is stirred and troubled by the atrocities of the twentieth century, and wants to know why ordinary people can commit such. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Humanity jonathan glover pdf a moral history of the. This book is about history and morality in the twentieth century. A moral history of the twentieth century by jonathan glover. A moral history of the twentieth century jonathan glover, 1999 london, jonathan cape 414 pp. And despite those horrific images, what is it that causes us humans time and time again to commit such crimes against humanity. The summer before i experienced the smoke of the burning world trade center sucked into my kitchen by a whirring window fan, i read jonathan glovers. This book looks at the politics of our times and the roots of human nature to discover why so many atrocities were perpetuated and how we can create a social environment to prevent their recurrence. A moral history of the twentieth century yale nota bene by jonathan glover isbn. The book is in essence a survey of various ethically significant cases and situations, topically organized, drawn from twentieth century history. Cape london wikipedia citation please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. Budziszewski june 2001 jonathan glover is stirred and troubled by the atrocities of the twentieth century, and wants to know why ordinary people can commit such terrible deeds and how to prevent them.
Those are the kinds of questions jonathan glover, a critically acclaimed ethics philosopher, tries to answer in the book he had spent over ten years writing, humanity. In a new preface, glover brings the book through the postseptember 11 era and into our own timeand asks whether humankind can weaken the grip war has on us. Partly it consists of analytic sketches of some of the betterknown horrors of the past century, and partly of commendable, if perhaps naive, advice about how to restrain the human potential for atrocity. A moral history of the twentieth century from the worlds largest community of readers. A moral history of the twentieth century by glover, jonathan isbn.
Renowned moral philosopher jonathan glover confronts the brutal history of the twentieth century to unravel the mystery of. This work is a study of history and morality in the 20th century. A moral history of the twentieth century by jonathan glover available from rakuten kobo. This book is an attempt to bring ethics and this history together. Humanity a moral history of the twentieth century 2nd. The topic is the twentiethcentury moral history of the human race. The deaths he addresses are those of countless millions of. There is much that is excellent in humanity, especially glovers lucid summary of the monstrosities of stalinismindispensable. The deaths he addresses are those of countless millions of noncombatants, caught up in successive waves of. A study of history and morality in the twentieth century, this text examines the psychology which made possible hiroshima, the nazi genocide, the gulag, the chinese cultural revolution, pol pots cambodia, rwanda and bosnia. Humanity a moral history of the twentieth century by jonathan glover yale university press. Jonathan glover the twentieth century was the most brutal in human history, featuring a litany of shameful events that includes the holocaust, hiroshima, the stalinist era, cambodia, yugoslavia, and. But humanity is also being used in a different sense, in which it is contrasted with inhumanity. Read humanity pdf a moral history of the twentieth century, second edition by jonathan glover yale university press renowned moral philosopher jonathan glover confronts the brutal history of.
Glover is a fellow of the hastings center, an independent bioethics research institution in the united states, and is a distinguished research fellow at the oxford uehiro centre for practical ethics. A woman who was a schoolgirl at hiroshima asked, those scientists who invented the a. A moral history of the twentieth century, published in 1999, glover considers the psychological factors that predispose us to commit barbaric acts, and suggests how manmade moral traditions and the cultivation of moral imagination can work to restrain us from a ruthlessly selfish treatment of others. His analysis of the extensive bombing campaigns of world war ii and the factors that made them possible. A history of moral philosophy from the homeric age to the twentieth century 4. It identifies the moral attitudes and psychological conditions that made possible some of the standout horrors of the 20th century the holocaust, the gulag, world war i, hiroshima, bosnia, my lai, the rwandan genocide, etc. A moral history of the twentieth century second edition. Yale university press, 2001 find, read and cite all the research. Confronting the brutal history of the 20th century to unravel the psychological mystery of why so many atrocities occurred the holocaust, hiroshima, the gulags, cambodia, yugoslavia, rwanda and read more. Renowned moral philosopher jonathan glover confronts the brutal history of the twentieth century to unravel the mystery of why so many atrocities occurred.