Despre natura umana

Roger Scruton asks what biology alone fails to tell us. His focus is human life, our minds, and our acts. He argues that genes and traits passed down cannot explain them in full. He holds that faith does more than explain the world. Moral thought needs more than sums. The ethics of sex needs more than consent. He asks if contracts can serve as the basis for human ties.

These essays on philosophy give a first view of his main concerns. They suit readers new to his thought. Scruton takes a conservative view. He disputes claims that seek to explain human life in terms of matter alone. He traces the roots of these theories. He weighs their strengths and grants what they get right.

Scruton warns of a trap in accounts of the mind. They may take for granted what they seek to explain. He argues that a sound view of human nature must avoid this trap. Adina Arvatu translated this edition.