Talk:Derek Parfit

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This really needs a merge with Reasons and Persons.... Evercat 00:43, 30 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Suggestions

In general: this (good) article could use guideline-std info such as year of birth, nationality, etc; and a little more NPOV (vs eg "bury").

Re Ethics and Rationality: I just finished a copyedit, but paragraph 6 had two things that confused me: 1] Sentence 1 mentions "directly collectively self defeating", but only "indirectly" has yet been addressed, and nothing on individually/collectively (explicitly, at least). 2] Sentence 3 speaks of "The appeal to full relativity" when all that has been mentioned is "partial relativity".

Thx, and hope this helps, "alyosha" 06:50, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Suggestions 2, check my edits

I did the best i could (quickly) with the future section, but a couple things were unclear enough that i'd like someone expert in parfit or attached to the article to check that i got the right sense of things. The article and future section could use more work, esp the last sentence, IMO. Thx and hope this helps, "alyosha" 04:17, 24 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] "something close to a work of genius"

This is also quoted on the book cover of "Reasons and Persons" and I find it rather lowering. What would be required to call it a "genuine work of genius"? I know this is not the Derek Parfit discussion board but I would'nt know where else to ask. Herbert heart 07:00, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Kant

Parfit's knowledge and study of Kant, as seen in Climbing the Mountain should be noted. --70.111.218.254 21:33, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Influence diminished

This man had the great misfortune of being used as a source for Richard Dawkins, and now his influence has suddenly diminished. Poor guy! --Merzul 12:06, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

In any case, anyone who would look at the over 2000 google scholar hits, and just look at how people refer to his book, e.g. "the fascinating and ingenious arguments of part 3 of Derek Parfit's Reasons and Persons", and "the most thorough and authoritative treatment of this subject is in Derek Parfit's Reasons and Persons (1984, Part IV), which also gives references to..." could easily verify that this book has been highly influential in the field. I'm putting the statement back.
(In case anyone wonders what this is all about, then it has nothing to do with Derek Parfit, but is a little edit dispute that has spilled over from Darwin's Angel. --Merzul 12:27, 10 September 2007 (UTC)