Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #78477 in Books
• Published on: 1999-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 177 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The only boring aspect of this book is its title, which doesn't do justice to apologist Kreeft's intelligent, engaging dialogue between two fictional friends during a week of relaxation at Martha's Vineyard. Kreeft, philosophy professor at Boston College and author of more than 25 books, describes the absolutist character 'Isa as a Muslim fundamentalist from Palestine who teaches philosophy at the American University in Beirut. His interviewer and sparring partner is Libby Rawls, an African-American, liberal feminist journalist. Using a classic debate format, with impressive fairness to the opposite side, Kreeft defines relativism and its importance. Tracing relativism's evolution and history in Western philosophy, Kreeft notes that relativism is a fairly modern perspective, originating within the last few hundred years. He outlines the philosophical distinctions between it and absolutism with clarity and an integrity that will delight both the layperson and the professional philosopher. For Kreeft, relativism has eroded a collective and individual sense of accountability and contributed to social decay, yet he can see the other side, especially with regard to cross-cultural differences. Although the purpose of the book is to uphold absolutism, Kreeft outlines the relativist perspective in an approachable, respectful manner. By giving counterarguments a fighting chance, this becomes a book that may actually persuade peopleAnot just preach to the absolutist choir. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Philosophy professor Kreeft's conceit is that he recently invited two former students (both fictional) to discuss moral philosophy and that this is the record of their conversations. One of the two, a black feminist journalist and moral relativist, interviewed the other, a Palestinian Arab professor and moral absolutist. The sparks start flying in the first session, when the professor characterizes Auschwitz as "the fruit of moral relativism" and quotes Mussolini's explanation of fascism as quintessentially relativistic. The succeeding discussion treats the definition and the history of moral relativism (it began with the serpent's temptation of Eve, it seems), whether data support relativism or absolutism, the arguments for relativism, the roots of relativism in reductionism, arguments for moral absolutism, absolutism's philosophical assumptions (e.g., that truth can be known), and, finally, "The Cause and Cure of Relativism" (sexual mores are key to both). As the title suggests, relativism doesn't stand a chance here. Boredom is a goner, too, as, employing the oldest literary method of enlivening philosophy--casting it, ... ala Plato, as a dialogue, a bare-bones play--Kreeft deftly creates recognizable characters as he advances a debate as important to the future of religion as to that of society. Ray Olson

Customer Reviews

Humorous, Intelligent and Fascinating

Kreeft, an academic with a reputation for orthodoxy and narrow Catholic conservatism, does a wonderful job in presenting a topic of great timely interest in a relatively (no pun intended) light-hearted way. I must say that I was thoroughly impressed by this work and would recommend it to anyone who finds his or herself on either side of the figurative fence created by today's culture and it's precarious - and sometimes adversarial - engagement of religious absolutism.

Religious absolutism has gained, as Kreeft notes through the `interviews,' a rather polemical stigma in recent history. Closely tied to fundamental trends in the minds of many, absolutism is neither fundamental (in a pejorative sense) nor simplistic (in the idiotic sense). Kreeft does a fine job articulating that and helps to bring a refulgent tone to a formidable position.

A page-turning synopsis of a timely philosophical topic.

Interviews with an intellectual bully
As a book in philosophy, this work fails. Kreeft presents unoriginal arguments in a largely incoherent fashion and consistently refuses to examine their flaws. To compound these errors, he relies heavily on equivocation, straw men, and guilt by association, among other fallacies. In fact, he doesn't even make the trivial effort it would require to ensure a fair representation of his opponent's view: the voice of relativism is, from the start, the villain of the book. Relativists (and philosophers in general who have respect for their craft) should be offended by this book's philosophical content.

However, relativists should also be worried. While this book utterly fails as a philosophical treatise, it succeeds admirably as propaganda. Untrained readers will surely accept his constant claims that the "debates" represent unbiased philosophy. From there, they'll readily accept that relativism will be the downfall of mankind. If anybody doubts its effectiveness, simply read through the other reviews. For this reason, I encourage relativists to take this book seriously and review its arguments online, for free (and with considerably less irritating one-sided banter) at [...]

To be sure, if you're interested in this debate, you'll hear these arguments again and again. In that way alone does Kreeft perform a public service by printing this drivel: there is no better way for a budding relativist to develop a strong foundation for his belief than to read these arguments and tear them apart.

A series of enlightening interviews
Kreeft structures his book around a series of interviews with a black moral relativist and activist, Libby, and a Muslim absolutionist and professor, 'Isa. The logic is solid and the interviews are entertaining. A must-read for anyone with philosophical or religious interests.