Product Description

The decline of religion and ever increasing influence of science pose acute ethical issues for us all. Can we reject the literal truth of the Gospels, yet still retain a Christian morality? Can we defence any moral values against the constant enroachments of technology? Indeed, are we in danger of losing most of the qualities which make us truly human? Here, drawing on a novelist's insight into art, literature and abnormal psychology, Iris Murdoch conducts an ongoing debate with major writers, thinkers and theologians from Augestine to Wittgenstein, Shakespeare to Sartre, Plato to Derrida - to provide fresh and compelling answers to these crucial questions.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #217314 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Review
'Iris Murdoch has written a book which concerns all of us as humans... There are pages here that one wants to embrace her for, pages that say things of fundamental human importance in a way that they have never quite been said before' Sunday Telegraph

About the Author
Iris Murdoch was born in Dublin in 1919 of Anglo-Irish parents. She went to Badminton School, Bristol, and read classics at Somerville College, Oxford. In 1948 she returned to Oxford where she became a fellow of St Anne's college. Awarded the CBE in 1976, Iris Murdoch was made a DBE in the 1987 New Year's Honours List. She died in February 1999.

Customer Reviews

What is good?
Socrates posed several questions, one of them being 'what is good?'. As thinking beings we have purported through the milleniums to think about this question, and many more, and specially tried to relate such intellectual activities to the 'real' world of our everyday practical lives.

Iris Murdoch is one of those intellectuals of a group (my hypothesis) concerned with morality and in particular, questions to do with moral philosophy in the broadest sense. Others in that category vary from Nietzsche, J. M. Keyenes, Et cetera to major theological thinkers and texts.

Reading the 'Metaphysics' brings one closer to Murdoch. One begins to understand better that she did her philosophy through her stories. 'Afterall, aren't we all telling stories?' To paraphrase one of her characters from an earlier novel. She was concerned with re-discovering the roots of some of the bigger questions that any thinking person might ask; and in this book, she brilliantly, clearly, wittily follows through to their uses, changes, revelations - weaving her own genius throughout. I was reminded of her description of the fictious philosopher in 'The Philosopher's Pupil' when she writes, 'all the books are in him now'; I felt, that all the books were in her, and all I had to do was to read this one person's insights from her various narratives and I might just glimpse a 'truth' myself.

Indeed, seriously reading 'Metaphysics' must be, in the beginning, a pursuit to know oneself. However, in the end, turns towards the very opposite: not a deconstruction, nor a rebuilding of the self; but rather a 'blowing out'. A realisation of the grativy of people, even morally 'good' people, to draw towards them a veil of memorabilia, illusions, desires, regrets, life-denying, selfishness. Such a realisation would require a 'radical' rethinking of the self and it's senses of, and de/re-construction of morality in relation to the world around us.

I do not think that Murdoch was in any way an enlightened being, though she pursued that path seemingly endlessly and exhaustively. Though without recourse to Buddhist 'ideology', but rather through rational contemplation of her own.

If you want a fresh perspective on themes such as art, religion, morality, et cetera and how such abstract notions relate to the practical world where the Self is the King/Queen, then this is in fact a great starter. Murdoch allows room to stop and read up on the original texts of such thinkers as Plato, Arthur Schopenhauer, Simone Weil, Et cetera; in order to get a better understanding of her interpretations.

Indeed, this text, along with 'Sovereignty of Good' makes perfectly clear some of the insightful conjectures upon society that she makes in her novels. In fact, her novels are the real philosophy, me thinks. Her laboratory as such.

'The Sea, The Sea', which won the Booker prize in its time, is a good book to begin Murdoch with. Even if you find it disturbing, yet want to discover more about the genius of Iris Murdoch (who has influenced/inspired such modern thinkers as Karen Armstrong, author of 'A History of God', et cetera), read 'Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals' - and let the wisdom in ^_^

A must-have
Iris Murdoch's 'Metaphysics As A Guide To Morals' is a must-have. It is the result of Murdoch's many years of reading and research- research resulting in a perceptive examination of issues of permanent relevance to philosophy, literature and art. The book is not 'preachy' by any means- it does purport to be a document of absolute truth- as if a philosophical text could be- or urge you to side with everything suggested in it. What it is, though, is the genius Murdoch presenting her personal opinions and ideas regarding these and other themes, developing new theoretical possibilities and expanding on traditional views. Superb. This is Murdoch at her brilliant best.

difficult but oh so worth it
This boook is often seen as impenetrable,even by those who teach Murdoch. So it's very easy to be completely put off. However I began dipping into it whilst re-reading "The Bell" recently, because morality, and the living of a good life, are such a constant preoccupation in that book.I found some of the things she said in the chapter on morality really illuminated my reading of the text, and Iris Murdoch is one of those writers who benefit amazingly from this kind of background. I would just say to anyone interested in the novels, and thinking about having a go, that they should buy a copy and just begin dipping into it. Don't feel all daunted and put off, because just a couple of sentences of it will contain a thought you can ponder for hours while mindlessly travelling, on the tube, in the car, watching I'm a Celebrity...
Really, have a go.