Reviews for Conversations on Ethics, Oxford University Press (hardback 2009; Kindle 2010; paperback 2011).

The dialogue is always insightful. (...) The interviewees turn out to be genuine philosophers, diligent and enormously intelligent but nonetheless struggling and fallible. The value of Voorhoeve's book is that it shows how great minds come to their ideas and come to disagree on fundamental issues. (...) I can recommend it to anyone who wants to delve deeper into ethics.

Bart Engelen, Ethical Perspectives 17 (2010): 680-3. Full review here.

Probes positions in a precise and clear way.  (...) The conversational form is  refreshing when compared with other textual forms, like the monograph. (...)  Not only does it provide readers with the outline of each interviewee's position, but it also offers a personal impression of each thinker. (...) Exciting.

Uta Bittner, Zeitschrift fuer medizinische Ethik 56 [4] (2010): 376-8 Full review here.

Voorhoeve has a real gift for detecting the vulnerable parts in any thinker's argumentation and exposing them in a manner that forces the philosopher to produce a more comprehensive account of her or his views. (...) [A]n excellent illustration of the two desiderata that have inspired philosophical inquiry since the time of Socrates: (...) a special ability for critical thinking [and] a demand for honesty and authenticity.

Cristian Iftode, Public Reason 2 (2010): 96-100. Full review here.

Accessible and even potentially thrilling for the non specialist. (...) Voorhoeve excels in many conversations at probing the ideas of his interlocutor. (...) A great contribution to the field.

Francois Claveau, Ethics & Economics 7 (2010). Full review here.

Richly instructive and delightful to read. Voorhoeve has a sophisticated command of his interlocutors' philosophical views, and his questions often hit the nail on the head. (...) The conversational method, with its unique ability to dwell on the more obscure or vulnerable junctions of a philosophical view, helps deepen our understanding of what is sometimes hidden between the lines of systematic texts. (...)  [I}t provides the most valuable insights on the nature of ethics.  

Shlomo Cohen, Iyyun: The Jerusalem Philosophical Quarterly 59 (2010): 63-77. Full review here.

Nietzsche said that all great problems demand great love. (...) Nietzsche was a hard man to please. But he would have felt some satisfaction with Voorhoeve's eleven interviews. His philosophers fight for their theories, defending them ferociously and lovingly. (...)  Almost always, one falls in with their reasoning--at least, this is what happened to me. But, of course, this leads to inconsistency. For the difference in their views is far too great. This is bewildering, and teaches us a good lesson: not to be unmovable in one's attachments to one's moral views. (...) It shows just how difficult moral calculation and justification of one's views to others is.

Jan Greven, Trouw (a Dutch daily newspaper, 2010; click here for the full article; translation mine.)

Intellectually stimulating and highly entertaining  (...)  Voorhoeve has a knack for teasing out revealing answers.  His probing questions often bring out the weakest or most revealing parts of the interviewed philosophers' views (...) Exciting.

Krister Bykvist, The Philosophers' Magazine 49 (2010): 110-1. Full review here.

[A] beautifully produced collection. (...) A pleasure to read as well as philosophically valuable. Overall, it is an excellent book, providing something different, involving and very welcome.

Hugh Upton, Philosophical Investigations 33 (2010): 380-3. Full review here.

A superb collection of interviews with leading figures in moral philosophy: Voorhoeve deftly limns the broad outlines of their thought and paints a physical picture of the setting, before interrogating his subjects' theories.  (...)   [A]n exemplary demonstration of philosophical discussion in action.

Steven Poole, The Guardian (6 February 2010). Full review here.

This book beautifully refutes the idea that engaging with philosophical questions is difficult and tiring.

Uta Bittner & Tobias Eichinger, Philosophisches Jahrbuch 118 (2011): 161-5. Full review here; translation mine.

I have rarely enjoyed a philosophy book as much. Voorhoeve's bold effort really works. He cunningly brings ethical theory to life through insightful conversations with key philosophers and scientists. Not only do the issues come alive, but the participants do as well. Don't miss the chance to eavesdrop on these conversations.

Norman Daniels, Harvard University

Voorhoeve has interviewed many of the most interesting and influential recent thinkers on ethical topics, expertly focusing on their core positions and arguments in a series of insightful philosophical dialogues. In doing so he has produced not only a comprehensive introduction to contemporary ethical thought, but also a real sense of the human beings behind the writings.

Jonathan Wolff, University College London

Information on an evening on the book at the Harvard Humanities Center. Reported in the Harvard Crimson.

An evening on the book at philosophical cafe Felix & Sofie (Amsterdam); on their books of the month list for November 2009.