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What is moral philosophy? That is the question with which this important volume grapples. Its starting point is the famous critique made in 1958 by Elizabeth Anscombe, who argued that moral philosophy begins from a mistake: that it is fundamentally wrong about the sort of concept that the word 'moral' represents. Anscombe rejected moral philosophy as it was then (and mostly now still is) practised. She offered instead a blueprint for the task moral philosophers must embrace if they are to speak intelligibly to society about good and bad, right and wrong, duty and obligation. The chapters in this book are inspired by Anscombe's classic text. One of the most powerful voices here, among many authoritative voices, is that of Philippa Foot - Anscombe's lifelong friend - who asserts that 'any account of practical reason evacuated of an understanding of what human beings need to flourish is inadequate and must be rejected.'
List of contents
1. Rationality and goodness Philippa Foot; 2. Acting well Anselm Winfried Muller; 3. Apprehending human form Michael Thompson; 4. Does modern moral philosophy rest on a mistake? Roger Crisp; 5. Absolutes and particulars Tim Chappell; 7. On the so-called logic of practical inference A. W. Price; 8. Absolute prohibitions without divine promises Sabina Lovibond; 9. Moral obligation Thomas Pink; 10. The lesser evil Avishai Margalit; 11. The ethics of co-operation in wrongdoing David S. Oderberg; 12. Authority Roger Teichmann; 13. The force of numbers Joseph Raz; 13. Reason, Intention, and choice an essay in practical philosophy Gavin Lawrence; 14. Modern moral philosophy and the problem of relevant descriptions Onora O'neill; Index.
About the author
Anthony O'Hear, OBE, is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Buckingham. He is an Honorary Director of the Royal Institute of Philosophy and Editor of the Institute's journal Philosophy.Rachael Wiseman is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Liverpool. She is author of the Routledge Philosophy GuideBook to Anscombe's Intention (2016)
Summary
What is moral philosophy? That is the question with which this important volume grapples. Its starting point is the famous critique made by Elizabeth Anscombe, who argued that moral philosophy begins from a mistake: that it is fundamentally wrong about the sort of concept that the word 'moral' represents.
Foreword
A book creatively engaging with one of the most famous interventions in the world of moral philosophy, by Elizabeth Anscombe.
