Regardless of who you are or how you live your life, you disagree with
millions of people on an enormous number of topics from politics,
religion and morality to sport, culture and art. Unless you are
delusional, you are aware that a great many of the people who disagree
with you are just as smart and thoughtful as you are - in fact, you know
that often they are smarter and more informed. But believing someone to
be cleverer or more knowledgeable about a particular topic usually won't
change your mind. Should it?
This book is devoted to exploring this quandary - what should we do when
we encounter disagreement, particularly when we believe someone is more
of an authority on a subject than we are? The question is of enormous
importance, both in the public arena and in our personal lives.
Disagreement over marriages, beliefs, friendships and more causes
immense personal strife. People with political power disagree about how
to spend enormous amounts of money, about what laws to pass, or about
wars to fight. If only we were better able to resolve our disagreements,
we would probably save millions of lives and prevent millions of others
from living in poverty.
The first full-length text-book on this philosophical topic,
Disagreement provides students with the tools they need to understand
the burgeoning academic literature and its (often conflicting)
perspectives. Including case studies, sample questions and chapter
summaries, this engaging and accessible book is the perfect starting
point for students and anyone interested in thinking about the
possibilities and problems of this fundamental philosophical debate.*
*
