ABSTRACT
I have tried not to write a patronising book; that is, I have not tried to push a line or to get you to see the world from some favourite, more or less idiosyncratic, angle of my own. In any case, I have never subscribed to the view that it is a philosopher’s job to tell other people how they ought to live their lives. (Is there anyone left who does subscribe to that view?) But then, there are unpatronising ways to help someone; ways which do not involve handing out moralistic advice. For example, you can give someone a map and so help that person reach their destination, wherever it might be. Sometimes a map can show whether it is even worth trying to get there in the first place.
