Three Methods of Ethics A Debate

by Baron, Marcia W.; Pettit, Philip; Slote, Michael A.

• ISBN13: 9780631194354
• ISBN10: 0631194355
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-12-08
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

During the past decade ethical theory has been in a lively state of development, and three basic approaches to ethics - Kantian ethics, consequentialism, and virtue ethics - have assumed positions of particular prominence. Written in the form of a debate, this volume presents a clear survey and assessment of the main arguments, both for and against each of these three central approaches to ethics. In doing so, it represents the first volume to bring these forms of ethical theory into a critical relationship, engaging current philosophical debate on the one hand in terms clear enough for undergraduates on the other.It is an ideal basis for course use in ethics and moral philosophy.

Author Biography

Marcia W. Baron is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Illinois, Urbana. She is the author of Kantian Ethics Almost Without Apology (1995).

Philip Pettit is Professor of Philosophy at Australian National University. He is the author of Republicanism (1996), The Common Mind (1993), and Not Just Deserts (1990), and is editor (with Robert E. Goodin) of A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy (Blackwell Publishers, paperback edition 1996) and Contemporary Political Philosophy: an Anthology (Blackwell Publishers, paperback edition 1997).

Michael Slote is Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Philosophy Department at the University of Maryland, College Park. He is the author of Goods and Virtues (1983), Common Sense Morality and Consequentialism (1985), Beyond Optimizing(1989), and From Morality to Virtue (1992).

Table of Contents

Introduction

Kantian Ethics

Introduction

Consequentalism versus Kantian Ethics

Kantian Ethics and Virtue Ethics

Further Objections to Kantian Ethics

The Consequentialist Perspective

A Moral Psychology for Consequentialists and Non-consequentialists

The Question of Rightness

Different Answers to the Question of Rightness

In Favour of the Consequentialist Answer to the Question of Rightness

The Tenability of the Consequentialist Answer

Virtue Ethics

What is Virtue Ethics?

Theory versus Anti-theory

Virtue Ethics versus Kantian and Common-sense Morality

Common-sense Virtue Ethics versus Consequentialism

Further Aspects of Common-sense virtual Ethics

Making Sense of Agent-based Virtue Ethics

Morality as Inner Strength

Morality as Universal Benevolence

Morality as Caring

Agent-basing and Applied Ethics

Conclusion: Comparisons within Virtue Ethics

Reply to Pettit and Slote

Reply to Pettit

Reply to Stote

Reply to Baron and Stote

Rival Theories?

Comment on Slote

Comment on Baron

Reply to Baron and Pettit

Reply to Baron

Reply to Pettit

Virtue Politics

Index

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