Publisher's Synopsis
This book organises philosophy into a structure based on function. It builds on the objective foundation that the most important human function is to perpetuate the species. Rowe shows that while we each have two basic goals in life -- to achieve personal happiness and self-fulfilment and to ensure that humanity, as a whole, is able to perpetuate the human species -- the second goal always take priority over the first. To build a structure based on this foundation, or to build any structure, the adage "form follows function" applies. Rowe follows this adage and shows how each of the elements of philosophy supports perpetuation of the species. Logical deductions enable us to come to ethical conclusions about real life questions. In some cases, the conclusions are disappointing, even disconcerting. For example, we see that not only are animals not ethically equal to humans, but that some humans have higher ethical value than others -- that, in fact, we are not all ethically equal.
