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A completely revised and updated second edition of Modern Moral Philosophy , first published in 1970. During the twentieth-century many philosophers of the analytical tradition have debated the meaning of moral judgements. This book analyzes the principle moves and countermoves in that debate. To the first five chapters of the original edition Dr Hudson has added three new chapters on The Derivation of Ought from Is , Further Forms of Descriptivism and Anti-Utilitarianism and the Two-level Theory , taking into account the recent work of Gewirth, Geach, Philippa Foot, Hampshire, Williams, MacIntyre, Hare and other contemporary philosophers.
List of contents
Preface Preface to Second Edition MORAL DISCOURSE AND MORAL PHILOSOPHY MORAL DISCOURSE AND THEORIES OF MEANING The Referential Theory The Verificationist Theory The Causal, or Psychological, Theory Meaning As Use THE INTUITIONIST THEORY Moore and the Rejection of Ethical Naturalism The Intuitionism of Prichard and Ross The Claim to Know by Moral Intuition THE EMOTIVIST THEORY The Rejection of Nonnaturalism Stevenson's Account of Emotivism Criticism of Emotivism PRESCRIPTIVISM The Rejection of Emotivism Hare's Account of Prescriptivism Prescriptivity Universalizability Logical Relations CRITICISM Criticism: Prescriptivity Criticism: Universalizability Criticism: Logical Relations THE DERIVATION OF "OUGHT" FROM "IS" Hume on "Is" and "Ought" CONTEMPORARY ATTEMPTS TO DEDUCE "OUGHT" FROM "IS" Searle's Derivation of "Ought" from "Is" Gewirth's Derivation of "Ought" from "Is" SOME FURTHER FORMS OF DESCRIPTIVISM Two Assumptions of prescriptivism Rejected Morality Grounded in Human Wants "Ought" Taken to Mean "Wants" "Wants" as Providing a Conclusive Reason for "Ought" MORALITY GROUNDED IN MAN'S TELOS P.T. Geach on the Meaning of "A Good Man" Stuart Hampshire on the Connection Between Attributive and Predicative uses of "Good" A.C. Macintyre on "Man" as a Functional Noun Basil Mitchell on the Connection Between Morality and Religion Concluding Comment MORALITY GROUNDED IN TRADITION ANTI-UTILITARIANISM AND THE "TWO-LEVEL" THEORY Neo-Intutionism's Attach on Utilitarianism Hare's Recent Moral Philosophy The Constraint of "Logic and the Facts" The "Two-Level" Theory Index
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Review from the first edition:
'Hudson's treatment lies in the way he spells out how each moral theory is related to a more general theory of the way in which language has meaning. Moreover, the discussion is not so nicely balanced as, apparently, to preclude decision: judgments are made and heroes are admitted to the scene, the defence of Stevenson, Hare and Searle, chiefly against misrepresentation, being noteworthy.' - The Expository Times
