From Cicero and Augustine through the middle ages and into the Reformation, this Very Short Introduction considers conscience as a matter of human rights and obligations, as well as an important issue
Gamwell (emeritus, religious ethics, theology, and philosophy of religion; U. of Chicago) explores two related interests that have long occupied him. One is the importance of metaphysical necessity--s
The Nicomachean Ethics is one of Aristotle’s most widely read and influential works. Ideas central to ethics—that happiness is the end of human endeavor, that moral virtue is formed through action and
Joseph Butler (1692-1752) is perhaps Britain's most powerful and original moral philosopher. He exercised a profound influence over the contemporary Protestant Churches, the English moralists and the
**Selected as an Outstanding Academic Title by Choice Magazine**Martin Rhonheimer is considered one of the most important contemporary writers in philosophical Thomistic ethics. Following his previous
`In Moral Emotions and Intuitions Sabine Roeser very ably sketches a new theory of moral judgments. She blends traditional intuitionism's commitment to rationality and ethical realism with the best re
A new account of Aristotle's Ethics, this book argues for the central importance of the concept of ‘techne' or ‘craft' in Aristotle's moral theory. Exploring the importance of ‘techne' in the Platonic
Contractualism has a venerable history and considerable appeal. Yet as an account of the foundations or ultimate grounds of morality it has been thought by many philosophers to be subject to fatal ob
The first title to launch a new series of books, Heretics. Mary Midgley is the doyenne of British moral philosophers. The book is a formidable critique of the use of Darwin’s ideas in modern-da
This book offers a new interpretation of the theory of the good in Aristotle’sNicomachean Ethics. In a careful reading focusing particularly on the first chapters, the author argues that Aristotle has
An inspiring and provocative exploration of an alternative to traditional religion Questions about the role of God and religion in today's world have never been more relevant or felt more powerfull
Sam Harris's first book, The End of Faith, ignited a worldwide debate about the validity of religion. In the aftermath, Harris discovered that most people---from religious fundamentalists to nonbelie
Contemporary law and public policy often treat human beings as selfish creatures who respond only to punishments and rewards. Yet every day we behave unselfishly---few of us mug the elderly or steal t
Anyone interested in theories of moral or human practice will find in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics one of the few basic models relevant through to today. At the centre of his analysis, both sober an
Utilitarianism and other aggregationist moral theories view the public interest or the general welfare as an aggregate of individual goods. But critics of these theories question whether there is adequate justification for employing the concept of an aggregate social good. How are we supposed to sum up individual interests? Is it even possible to compare the utilities of different people or to assign values to individual utilities that can be added or subtracted? If not, how is the general good to be aggregated? Critics have also raised concerns about the aggregative approach in ethics - concerns about its implications for distributive justice, individual liberty and democratic institutions. The essays in this volume explore these issues and address related questions. Some of them examine specific objections to aggregation, others analyze the very idea of a social good or social welfare. Other essays discuss the application of aggregative principles to particular problems.
"...extending some important strains of his previous award-winning work, Selfhood and Authenticity (2001)...Anton breaks new ground by bringing the works of Ernest Becker, Kenneth Burke and Hans Jona
Natural law is a controversial subject but one of great significance in the ongoing and increasingly important discussion about the foundations of moral reasoning. The essays of this volume examine na
