Thinking of Answers

In his acclaimed columns in the London *Times* and *Prospect* , A. C. Grayling often responds to provocative questions posed by editors and readers. These questions serve as the basis for the essays in *Thinking of Answers* , among them searching examinations of the following: – Are human beings especially prone to self-deception? – If beauty existed only in the eye of the beholder, would that make it an unimportant quality? – Are human rights political? – Can ethics be derived from evolution by natural selection? – If both sides in a conflict passionately believe theirs is a just cause, does this mean the idea of justice is empty? – Does being happy make us good? And does being good make us happy? As in his previous books on philosophy for the general public, including *Meditations for the Humanist* and *Life, Sex and Ideas* , rather than presenting a set of categorical answers, Grayling offers suggestions for how to think about every aspect of the question at hand and arrive at one’s own conclusion. Nobody can read *Thinking of Answers* without being fully engaged, for Grayling challenges with his intellect and inspires with his humanity.