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Timothy Chappell develops a picture of what philosophical ethics can be like, once set aside from conventional moral theory. His question is 'How are we to know what to do?', and the answer he defends is 'By developing our moral imaginations'¿a key part of human excellence, which plays many roles in our practical and evaluative lives.
List of contents
- Introduction
- 1: What makes a good decision?
- 2: Three kinds of moral imagination
- 3: Intuition, system, and the 'paradox' of deontology
- 4: Impartial benevolence and partial love
- 5: Internal reasons and the heart's desire
- 6: On the very idea of criteria for personhood
- 7: Glory as an ethical idea
- 8: Nobility and beauty in ethics
- 9: Moral certainties
- 10: Why ethics is hard
- 11: The varieties of knowledge in Plato and Aristotle
- 12: Platonistic virtue ethics
- Bibliography
About the author
Sophie Grace Chappell is the author of numerous books and articles on ethics, ancient philosophy, epistemology, and philosophy of religion. He has taught at universities including the University of Oxford, the University of British Columbia, the University of East Anglia, and the University of Manchester. Since 2006 he has been Professor of Philosophy at The Open University.
Summary
Sophie Grace Chappell develops a picture of what philosophical ethics can be like, once set aside from conventional moral theory. His question is 'How are we to know what to do?', and the answer he defends is 'By developing our moral imaginations'--a key part of human excellence, which plays many roles in our practical and evaluative lives.
Additional text
[M]akes available in the context of contemporary debates a version of ethics which could deliver the discipline from the tyranny of theory... Imagination plays a large role in Chappell's own presentation, and this is one of the many delights for the reader.... If knowing what to do, knowing what is required to live well, is a real concern of yours, then this book is a valuable asset for your search. It should lead to a revision of the teaching of ethics in higher education.
