Climbing Philosophy for Everyone

Climbing - Philosophy for Everyone presents a collection of intellectually stimulating new essays that address the philosophical issues relating to risk, ethics, and other aspects of climbing that are of interest to everyone from novice climbers to seasoned mountaineers. CLIMBING PHILOSOPHY FOR EVERYONE Both climbing and philosophy are serious endeavors. However, if you make a mistake while engaging in philosophy, it may be ego-bruising, but it won't kill you. In mountain and rock climbing, even the simplest error in judgment can be life threatening. Given the inherent risks of most climbing pursuits, why would anyone subject themselves to "tying in"? What does the risk bring? Is it ever justified? And why do so many non-climbers find the inherent risks of climbing unacceptable? Climbing – Philosophy for Everyone presents a thought-provoking collection of new essays that not only address the issue of why climbers engage in such an intrinsically risky pursuit, but also plunge into the philosophical void to consider such intellectually stimulating topics as: Character traits that climbing develops and that are most valuable for summit quests Ethical debates pertaining to rules defining climbing styles and ethics of free soloing Concerns about climbers' impact on the environment and the manufacturing of holds The hazards in evaluating one's own climbing abilities Climbing culture as a gift economy and the sheer beauty of climbing Demonstrating the rich connections between climbing and philosophical reflection, Climbing – Philosophy for Everyone invites us to ponder aspects of behavior that can give deeper meaning to the challenges and struggles of everyday life. Climbing - Philosophy for Everyone presents a collection of intellectually stimulating new essays that address the philosophical issues relating to risk, ethics, and other aspects of climbing that are of interest to everyone from novice climbers to seasoned mountaineers. Represents the first collection of essays to exclusively address the many philosophical aspects of climbing Includes essays that challenge commonly accepted views of climbing and climbing ethics Written accessibly, this book will appeal to everyone from novice climbers to seasoned mountaineers Includes a foreword written by Hans Florine Shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature, 2010