Review by Choice Review
Athanassoulis (Univ. of Leeds, UK) provides an account of moral luck that reveals the apparent tension between a conception of being human that embraces vulnerability and contingency and a conception that affirms the importance of autonomy. Athanassoulis's text forces readers to ponder whether philosophers, and most notably ethicists, have been confounding moral luck with luck simpliciter. Like both Kant and Aristotle, the author acknowledges and takes into account the fact that morality must allow for a conception of moral responsibility while at the same time recognizing a plausible picture of the human condition. Her contribution illustrates quite convincingly why both Aristotle and Kant understood the tension between morality and lack of control; consequently, one can see in their philosophy a keen awareness of the need to deal with moral responsibility in the face of the influences of luck. Athanassoulis's contribution will be useful for students and scholars concerned with ethics and moral theory generally. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty/researchers. M. A. Martinez-Saenz Wittenberg University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
