Mary Warnock: the uses & abuses of philosophy

The dust jacket on Mary Warnock’s latest book, An Intelligent Person’s Guide to Ethics[1] (henceforth Guide to Ethics), carries the following blurb:

Even before its publication, opinions expressed in this highly controversial book about ethics caused an uproar among thinkers and campaigners of different persuasions… . In no uncertain terms the highly respected philosopher and public figure Lady Warnock explains in this book how to distinguish right from wrong in areas ranging from euthanasia to abortion, Down’s syndrome, education and genetic engineering.

Mary Warnock has been described not only on book jackets but also in the press as a philosopher and author with a high public profile and a distinguished career. The career developed as follows: Warnock graduated in 1948 and soon went on to teach philosophy...