The essays included in this book provide highly critical and creative analysis of some of the basic problems of normative and meta—ethies in a pleasantly readable language. They can be enjoyably and profitably read by technical philosophers as well as interested bymen. Professor Prasad writes on ethical issues as seminal, conceptual issues of moral philosophical, and not as issues arising out of some regional, Indian or non-Indian, instances of moral thinking. Even ethical issues, generally discussed as rooted in classical Indian thinking, have been discussed by him as basic ones of moral philosophising, and thereby he raises the status of some classical Indian views to a level at which their conceptual, general or non-regional, role becomes crystac clear, His writings by to bridge the gulf wrongly created by some others, between Indian and Western moral theorising. CONTENTS Preface 1. On Wittgenstein’s Transcendental Ethics: An Analysis 2. The Paradox of Obligation 3. Applying Ethics: Modes, Motives and Levels of Commitment Ethics and the World Applicability of an Ethical Theory Primacy of the Ethical Ethics and Metaethics Application and Motivation Application and levels of Commitment 4. Man’s Timeless Dialogue with His God: Another Recording 5. Promising as Obligating Their Fulfilment 6. Ordinary Language, the Fact of Our Having a Responsibility, Responsibility’s Absolvers, and Ability as Absolvers’ Absence Ordinary Language as the Homeland of the Concept of Responsibility Ways of having a Responsibility Being a Responsible Person Being Responsible For Intentionality and Agency Responsibility and Ability: Ability as the Absence of Conditions which Disallow Undiluted Predication of “Responsible” Responsibility and Duty 7. Formal Logic and the Autonomy of Ethics 8. On Identifying a Substantive Give and Take between Philosophy and Science Substantive Give and Take Characterization of Substantive Give and Take Preparatory Work for Facilitating Give and Take Some Illustrations of Substantive Give and Take 9. The Gītā’s Theory of Action: A Secular–Analytic Assessment A Methodological Confession Doing and Desiring (Intending): Some Basics of Action Theory The Gītā’s Pleading for Abnegation of Desires The Gītā’s Pleading for Non-attachment to Results of Actions Non-attachment to Results of Desireful Actions Implies Abnegation of Desireful Actions (or all Actions) 10. Indian Democracy, Cultural Heritage and Philosophical Progress Democracy and People’s All-round Well-Being Progress-making Philosophizing Progressive vs Exegetical writing Indian Practice of Democracy and Its Use of Classical Heritag Political Use of an Exegesis Cultural Nationalism and Intellectual Integrity 11. Gandhi, Globalization and Quality of Life: A Study in the Ethics of Development Development Model and Quality of Life Gandhian Model for India’s Development by Making Villages Self-sustained Concept of a Self-Sustained Village Globalization and its likely Ethical Fallout Globalization as Multilateral Trade Globalization and Academics Gandhian and Globalization Models placed Face to Face 12. On Priding and Being Proud Of Priding Being Proud of and Being Proud Hume’s Theory of Pride Davidson’s Interpretation of Hume’s Theory Explained and Commented On 13. Logical Rights in the Backdrop of General Human Rights Some Generalities of Human Rights Logical Rights as only Humans’ Rights Logical Rights: Illustrative Elaboration 14. Aurobindo on Reality as Value 15. Restoring to Education Its Natural Role of Value-Inculcation: A Modest Proposal Objectives Content Recipients Social Reality Methodology Infrastructure Achievement of Objectives through Normal Routine 16. Patriotism Guided by Patriot’s Idea of the Country Concerned 17. Luck, Desert and the Myth of Moral Luck Some Commonalities of Things Attributed to Luck Generation of Desert Fred Feldman’s Rejection of the Common-Sense View: Discussed and Shown Untenable Luck and Moral Assessment Nagel’s Analysis of the Role of Moral Luck Examined Bibliography Index