The Moral Philosophers

Adopting a historical approach to moral philosophy, this text introduces the thoughts of some of the major ethical philosophers of the past. It treats each as a coherent and comprehensive ethical theory, presented as an attempt to surmount some of the deficiencies of its predecessors. The Moral Philosophers adopts a historical approach to moral philosophy, taking in chronological sequence some of the major ethical philosophers of the past. Richard Norman introduces the thought of each figure as a coherent and comprehensive ethical theory, exploring their richness and complexity. Each theory is critically examined and presented as an attempt to surmount some of the deficiencies of its predecessor; and through this critical process the book moves towards some concluding suggestions about the content of an acceptable ethical theory. This new edition includes four new chapters: one on Nietzsche, and three which provide substantially extended coverage of twentieth-century moral philosophy, including discussions of contemporary utilitarianism, rights-based ethical theories, contractarian ethics and virtue ethics, and recent debates between realism and anti-realism in ethics. The Moral Philosophers is designed for undergraduate students and the general reader, and is written in clear and non-technical language. It is intended for use as a basic text in an introductory course on ethics, with detailed recommended reading sections at the beginning of each chapter.