Reasons and Persons

Reasons and Persons is a philosophical work by Derek Parfit, published in 1986. It focuses on ethics, rationality and personal identity. It is divided into four parts, dedicated to self-defeating theories, rationality and time, personal identity and responsibility toward future generations. Part 1 argues that certain ethical theories are self-defeating. One such theory is ethical egoism, which Parfit claims fails due to the Prisoner's dilemma. Ul... more

Reasons and Persons is a philosophical work by Derek Parfit, published in 1986. It focuses on ethics, rationality and personal identity. It is divided into four parts, dedicated to self-defeating theories, rationality and time, personal identity and responsibility toward future generations. Part 1 argues that certain ethical theories are self-defeating. One such theory is ethical egoism, which Parfit claims fails due to the Prisoner's dilemma. Ultimately, Parfit rejects "common sense morality" on similar grounds. Parfit himself does not explicitly endorse a particular view; rather, he shows what the problems of different theories are. His only positive endorsement is of "impersonal ethics" — impersonality being the common denominator of the different parts of the book. Part 2 focuses on the relationship between rationality and time, dealing with questions such as: should we take into account our past desires?, should I do something I will regret later, even if it seems a good idea now... less