Utopias, dolphins, and computers

the long version

In Utopias, Dolphins and Computers Mary Midgley looks at the chronic difficulty of thinking straight about fundamental problems. She argues, with her customary clarity, warmth of tone and gentle wit, that philosophy offers a way of solving some of the most pressing contemporary problems. Where then does the real world need philosophy? It needs it when we want to consider such issues as environmental sustainability; educational ones such as the separation of teaching from research; and gender problems such as the kind of autonomy women are aiming for. From 'Freedom, Feminism and War' to 'Artificial Intelligence and Creativity', her essays unfailingly identify what is distorting our judgement and so help us see more clearly the dramas unfolding around us.