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cais's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
There were a few moments while reading the 92 page (!) introduction I thought that maybe I should have stopped on page 2 where editor Justin Broackes states that Iris Murdoch “From the start seemed to have led a rather fabulous life,” smiled and nodded in agreement, then went off to re-read an Iris novel. But I am very glad I kept going. As with any philosophy text, some of the writing is very complex & challenging. But the payoff, a more expansive and deeper way of looking at not just morality but at human life, is well worth the effort. As noted in one essay, “one place in which it is always going to be profitable to look for illumination and insight is the work of Iris Murdoch.” She asked whether and how we can become better people, even when it wasn’t fashionable to do so.
Iris, despite how she greatly “expanded the field of the philosophically imaginable” and brought new insight into moral philosophy, is often cited in passing, if at all, and has been excluded from many texts that include the work of people directly influenced by her. Of course it’s more fun to read her many incredibly excellent novels, or her letters and diaries, but her philosophical work is not separate, not really. As one essayist beautifully notes, “There are many strands in [her] work, woven into a colorful and complex tapestry rather than bound tightly into a rope.” She didn’t develop a moral theory, a formulation (a rope) because she saw moral life as a multifaceted practice, one that is difficult and complex. Her concept of a moral vision, a just and loving vision, isn’t without its problems, but it is important and distinctive & pretty incredible to read, despite the sometimes “maddening difficulty of it.”
From noting that the Dantean view of sexual love is very much like Murdoch’s own view, to asking whether her concept of moral motivation takes into account psychopathy and if her disagreement with existentialism is unfairly based on a caricature of it, these essays are deep dives of her work and challenges to it, great insights and much food for thought. I am always moved, though, by how Iris returned to love. Not personal love, which is possessive, but an impersonal love that allows a true vision of reality and of others, unobscured by fantasy or delusion. It’s an unfinished philosophy that failed to take some vital things into account, but it’s important and too often underappreciated.
Some philosophy knowledge, like a basic philosophical vocabulary, is needed to read this book and get anything out of it. Familiarity with Murdoch's work would probably be helpful as well. But anyone curious about her or who likes her or just wants to read some insightful and challenging contributions to moral philosophy will likely find at least a few essays in here that interest them. I also always encourage anyone who reads and enjoys her novels to read some of Murdoch's philosophy, because it's all connected.
Iris, despite how she greatly “expanded the field of the philosophically imaginable” and brought new insight into moral philosophy, is often cited in passing, if at all, and has been excluded from many texts that include the work of people directly influenced by her. Of course it’s more fun to read her many incredibly excellent novels, or her letters and diaries, but her philosophical work is not separate, not really. As one essayist beautifully notes, “There are many strands in [her] work, woven into a colorful and complex tapestry rather than bound tightly into a rope.” She didn’t develop a moral theory, a formulation (a rope) because she saw moral life as a multifaceted practice, one that is difficult and complex. Her concept of a moral vision, a just and loving vision, isn’t without its problems, but it is important and distinctive & pretty incredible to read, despite the sometimes “maddening difficulty of it.”
From noting that the Dantean view of sexual love is very much like Murdoch’s own view, to asking whether her concept of moral motivation takes into account psychopathy and if her disagreement with existentialism is unfairly based on a caricature of it, these essays are deep dives of her work and challenges to it, great insights and much food for thought. I am always moved, though, by how Iris returned to love. Not personal love, which is possessive, but an impersonal love that allows a true vision of reality and of others, unobscured by fantasy or delusion. It’s an unfinished philosophy that failed to take some vital things into account, but it’s important and too often underappreciated.
Some philosophy knowledge, like a basic philosophical vocabulary, is needed to read this book and get anything out of it. Familiarity with Murdoch's work would probably be helpful as well. But anyone curious about her or who likes her or just wants to read some insightful and challenging contributions to moral philosophy will likely find at least a few essays in here that interest them. I also always encourage anyone who reads and enjoys her novels to read some of Murdoch's philosophy, because it's all connected.
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