Larissa MacFarquhar Books
Larissa MacFarquhar is a staff writer for The New Yorker, known for her in-depth profiles and essays on moral philosophy and human behavior. She was born in London and lives in New York City.
Known for: Strangers Drowning: Voyagers to the Brink of Moral Extremity
Books by Larissa MacFarquhar
Strangers Drowning: Voyagers to the Brink of Moral Extremity
A penetrating exploration of people who devote their lives to helping others, often at great personal cost. Larissa MacFarquhar profiles individuals whose moral commitment drives them to extraordinary acts of altruism, examining the psychological, philosophical, and social dimensions of extreme goodness.
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Historical and Philosophical Context
Before we meet those who live for the sake of others, I step back to explore the lineage of moral thought that has wrestled with the tension between duty and self-regard. Utilitarianism, perhaps the most rigorous ethical framework for altruism, asserts that the right act is always that which maximiz...
From Strangers Drowning: Voyagers to the Brink of Moral Extremity
A Couple Who Adopt Multiple Children
Among the first stories I tell is of a couple who choose to adopt numerous children with profound disabilities. This act, while compassionate, unsettles many around them. Friends worry that the couple are overreaching, sacrificing their own well-being, and perhaps neglecting the children they alread...
From Strangers Drowning: Voyagers to the Brink of Moral Extremity
About Larissa MacFarquhar
Larissa MacFarquhar is a staff writer for The New Yorker, known for her in-depth profiles and essays on moral philosophy and human behavior. She was born in London and lives in New York City.
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Larissa MacFarquhar is a staff writer for The New Yorker, known for her in-depth profiles and essays on moral philosophy and human behavior. She was born in London and lives in New York City.
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