Contemporary Debates in Moral Theory

by Dreier, James

• ISBN13: 9781405101790
• ISBN10: 1405101792
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-09
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Contemporary Debates in Moral Theory features pairs of newly commissioned essays by some of the leading theorists working in the field today. Brings together fresh debates on the most controversial issues in moral theory Questions include: Are moral requirements derived from reason? How demanding is morality? Are virtues the proper starting point for moral theorizing? Lively debate format sharply defines the issues, and paves the way for further discussion. Will serve as an accessible introduction to the major topics in contemporary moral theory, while also capturing the imagination of professional philosophers.

Author Biography

James Dreier is Professor of Philosophy at Brown University. He works mainly in meta-ethics, and has published articles on relativism, expressivism, moral realism, practical rationality, decision theory, and the structure of normative theories.

Table of Contents

Notes on Contributors	vii
Introduction	x
James Dreier
PART I NORMATIVE THEORY	1	(124)
Is the Rightness of Action Determined by the Value of Consequences?	3	(2)
The Consequentialist Perspective	5	(16)
William Shaw
Against Maximizing Act Consequentialism	21	(17)
Peter Vallentyne
Reasons Without Demands: Rethinking Rightness	38	(19)
Alastair Norcross
Can Contract Theory Ground Morality?	55	(2)
Moral Contractarianism as a Foundation for Interpersonal Morality	57	(20)
Samuel Freeman
Can Contract Theory Ground Morality?	77	(22)
Philip Pettit
Are the Virtues the Proper Starting Point for Ethical Theory?	97	(2)
Are Virtues the Proper Starting Point for Morality?	99	(14)
Rosalind Hursthouse
Virtue Theory	113	(12)
Julia Driver
PART II REASON AND MOTIVATION	125	(72)
Are Moral Requirements Derived from Reason?	127	(2)
Reason, Sentiment, and Categorical Imperatives	129	(15)
Samuel J. Kerstein
Must We Weep for Sentimentalism?	144	(19)
Simon Blackburn
Is Motivation Internal to Moral Judgment?	161	(2)
How Do Moral Judgments Motivate?	163	(19)
Sigrun Svavarsdottir
Moral Motivation	182	(15)
R. Jay Wallace
PART III MORAL FACTS AND EXPLANATIONS	197	(126)
Is Morality Fully Factual?	199	(2)
Moral Factualism	201	(19)
Peter Railton
Morality Without Moral Facts	220	(21)
Terry Horgan
Mark Timmons
Do Moral Facts and Properties Explain Anything?	239	(2)
Moral Explanations Defended	241	(22)
Nicholas L. Sturgeon
Moral Epistemology and the Because Constraint	263	(22)
Nick Zangwill
Are There General Moral Principles?	283	(2)
Ethical Generality and Moral Judgment	285	(20)
Robert Audi
Defending Moral Particularism	305	(18)
Mark Norris Lance
Margaret Olivia Little
Index of Subjects	323	(7)
Index of Names	330