Reasons and Persons

By: Derek Parfit

Narrated by: Peter Batchelor

Challenging, with several powerful arguments, some of our deepest beliefs about rationality, morality, and personal identity, Parfit claims that we have a false view about our own nature. It is often rational to act against our own best interests, he argues, and most of us have moral views that are self-defeating. We often act wrongly, although we know there will be no one with serious grounds for complaint, and when we consider future generations it is very hard to avoid conclusions that most of us will find very disturbing.

©1984 Derek Parfit (P)2021 Upfront Books

Great work of philosophy

A foundational treatment of consequentialism and it's consequences. This work is the source of many important philosophical ideas in morality.

True working philosophy

This book is fantastic, if you want real undiluted modern philosophy this is it. Parfit is right, these views really do change how I view, and my emotions of, personal identity and things like death and changing overtime. Also the narrator is absolutely perfect for this kind of argument dense book, great performance

Worst book I’ve ever read, good performance

I’m glad to have listened to a recording of this book, I could not possibly bear it as a text. If you think the narration is too slow, just speed it up.

Among the greatest works of contemporary philosophy

Reasons and Persons solves the identity problem which should be familiar to all philosophy undergraduates, and it analyzes the concept of a “reason” which is properly explored in On What Matters.

To the reviews complaining that this text is too dense to be an audiobook: dude, some people are blind. Deal with it by getting a physical copy. Parfit has an incredibly straightforward writing style.

To the review claiming that this is “the worst book [you’ve] ever read,” since the list of books you’ve read is mostly fantasy-romance and softcore, I’m honestly not surprised.

Too dense for an audiobook + bad narration

Narration is clearly spliced together. Random words will sound different and not flow with the speech. Poor production.