Metaethics Egoism And Virtue

Author : Allan Gotthelf,James G. Lennox
Publisher : University of Pittsburgh Press
Page : 283 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2010-11-14
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780822977599

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Metaethics, Egoism, and Virtue by Allan Gotthelf,James G. Lennox Pdf

Philosopher-novelist Ayn Rand (1905–1982) is a cultural phenomenon. Her books have sold more than 25 million copies, and countless individuals speak of her writings as having significantly influenced their lives. In spite of the popular interest in her ideas, or perhaps because of it, Rand’s work has until recently received little serious attention from academics. Though best known among philosophers for her strong support of egoism in ethics and capitalism in politics, there is an increasingly widespread awareness of both the range and the systematic character of Rand’s philosophic thought. This new series, developed in conjunction with the Ayn Rand Society, an affiliated group of the American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division, seeks a fuller scholarly understanding of this highly original and influential thinker. The first volume starts not with the metaphysical and epistemological fundamentals of Rand’s thought, but with central aspects of her ethical theory. Though her endorsement of ethical egoism is well-known—one of her most familiar essay collections is The Virtue of Selfishness—the character of her egoism is not. The chapters in this volume address the basis of her egoism in a virtue-centered normative ethics; her account of how moral norms in general are themselves based on a fundamental choice by an agent to value his own life; and how her own approach to the foundations of ethics is to be compared and contrasted with familiar approaches in the analytic ethical tradition. Philosophers interested in the objectivity of value, in the way ethical theory is (and is not) virtue-based, and in acquiring a serious understanding of an egoistic moral theory worthy of attention will find much to consider in this volume, which includes critical responses to several of its main essays.

Author : Tara Smith
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 19 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2006-04-03
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781139455107

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Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics by Tara Smith Pdf

Ayn Rand is well known for advocating egoism, but the substance of that instruction is rarely understood. Far from representing the rejection of morality, selfishness, in Rand's view, actually demands the practice of a systematic code of ethics. This book explains the fundamental virtues that Rand considers vital for a person to achieve his objective well-being: rationality, honesty, independence, justice, integrity, productiveness, and pride. Tracing Rand's account of the harmony of human beings' rational interests, Smith examines what each of these virtues consists of, why it is a virtue, and what it demands of a person in practice. Along the way she addresses the status of several conventional virtues within Rand's theory, considering traits such as kindness, charity, generosity, temperance, courage, forgiveness, and humility. Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics thus offers an in-depth exploration of several specific virtues and an illuminating integration of these with the broader theory of egoism.

Author : Tara Smith
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 318 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : Egoism
ISBN : 1139931334

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Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics by Tara Smith Pdf

Ayn Rand is well known for advocating egoism, but the substance of that instruction is rarely understood. Far from representing the rejection of morality, selfishness, in Rand's view, actually demands the practice of a systematic code of ethics. This book explains the fundamental virtues that Rand considers vital for a person to achieve their objective well-being: rationality, honesty, independence, justice, integrity, productiveness, and pride. Tracing Rand's account of the value and harmony of human beings' rational interests, Smith examines what each of these virtues consists of, why it is a virtue, and what it demands of people in practice. Along the way she addresses the status of several conventional virtues within Rand's theory, considering traits such as kindness, charity, generosity, temperance, courage, forgiveness, and humility. Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics thus offers an in-depth exploration of several specific virtues and an illuminating integration of these with the broader theory of egoism.

Author : Paul Bloomfield
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 334 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2008
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780195305845

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Morality and Self-Interest by Paul Bloomfield Pdf

The relationship between morality and self-interest is a perennial one in philosophy. For Plato, Hobbes, Kant, Aristotle, Hume, Machiavelli, and Nietzsche, it lay at the heart of moral theory. This text introduces the topic and looks at its place in philosophical history.

Author : William K. Frankena
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 1976
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : STANFORD:36105036701360

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Perspectives on Morality by William K. Frankena Pdf

Author : Daniel R. DeNicola
Publisher : Broadview Press
Page : 330 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2018-11-30
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781770487048

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Moral Philosophy: A Contemporary Introduction by Daniel R. DeNicola Pdf

Moral Philosophy: A Contemporary Introduction is a compact yet comprehensive book offering an explication and critique of the major theories that have shaped philosophical ethics. Engaging with both historical and contemporary figures, this book explores the scope, limits, and requirements of morality. DeNicola traces our various attempts to ground morality: in nature, in religion, in culture, in social contracts, and in aspects of the human person such as reason, emotions, caring, and intuition.

Author : Jan Narveson
Publisher : Open Court
Page : 300 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2015-11-05
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780812699357

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This Is Ethical Theory by Jan Narveson Pdf

Ethical questions lie at the very heart of all philosophy, and no one is better equipped to untangle the many facets of ethical theory than respected thinker and professor Jan Narveson. Drawing from theoretical notions as well as everyday applications, Narveson simplifies these nuanced ideas for any beginning ethicist. Discussing theoretical elements ranging from intuitionism to naturalism, emotivism to metaethics, Narveson’s approach to this complex topic is one that any reader will find accessible.

Author : James Rachels
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : UOM:39015054247393

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The Elements of Moral Philosophy by James Rachels Pdf

Firmly established as the standard text for undergraduate courses in ethics, this concise, lively book combines clear explanations of the main theories of ethics with discussions of interesting examples. Topics covered include famine relief, euthanasia, homosexuality, and the treatment of animals. The text's versatility allows it to be widely used not only in ethical theory courses, but also in applied ethics courses of all kinds.

Author : Michael A. Slote
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 1992
Category : Common sense
ISBN : 9780195093926

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From Morality to Virtue by Michael A. Slote Pdf

Some have asked for more attention to the virtues within the compass of familiar underlying approaches to morality like utilitarianism and Kantian ethics. However, others have argued that a freestanding and systematic form of virtue ethics would have advantages over other large-scale approaches. This work attempts the latter approach.

Author : Hugh LaFollette,Ingmar Persson
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 651 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2013-04-16
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781118514269

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The Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory by Hugh LaFollette,Ingmar Persson Pdf

Building on the strengths of the highly successful first edition, the extensively updated Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory presents a complete state-of-the-art survey, written by an international team of leading moral philosophers. A new edition of this successful and highly regarded Guide, now reorganized and updated with the addition of significant new material Includes 21 essays written by an international team of leading philosophers Extensive, substantive essays develop the main arguments of all the leading viewpoints in ethical theory Essays new to this edition cover evolution and ethics, capability ethics, virtues and consequences, and the implausibility of virtue ethics

Author : Ayn Rand
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 321 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 1990-04-26
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781101137208

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Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology by Ayn Rand Pdf

Today man's mind is under attack by all the leading schools of philosophy. We are told that we cannot trust our senses, that logic is arbitrary, that concepts have no basis in reality. Ayn Rand opposes that torrent of nihilism, and she provides the alternative in this eloquent presentation of the essential nature--and power--of man's conceptual faculty. She offers a startlingly original solution to the problem that brought about the collapse of modern philosophy: the problem of universals. This brilliantly argued, superbly written work, together with an essay by philosophy professor Leonard Peikoff, is vital reading for all those who seek to discover that human beings can and should live by the guidance of reason.

Author : Wang Haiming
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 384 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2020-10-29
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780429823992

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The Principles of New Ethics II by Wang Haiming Pdf

From Descartes to Spinoza, Western philosophers have attempted to propose an axiomatic systemization of ethics. However, without consensus on the contents and objects of ethics, the system remains incomplete. This fourvolume set presents a model that highlights a Chinese philosopher’s insights on ethics after a 22-year study. Three essential components of ethics are examined: metaethics, normative ethics, and virtue ethics. This volume is the fi rst part of the discussion on normative ethics. The author sets out to discuss morality, and shows how the reasoning behind it can be both good and bad for human society from various perspectives. A system of an ultimate standard of morality is introduced and it is shown that where there are confl icts between different moral norms that cannot be compromised, people undoubtedly sacrifi ce less important moral norms to follow more fundamental and important moral norms or principles. The ultimate standard of morality is also the ultimate value standard for the evaluation of the goodness or badness of state institutions. Justice is the fundamental value standard to measure state institutions. Equality is the most important justice. The Chinese version of this set sold more than 60,000 copies and has exerted tremendous infl uence on the academic scene in the People’s Republic. The English version will be an essential read for students and scholars of ethics and philosophy in general.

Author : Catherine Wilson
Publisher : Open Book Publishers
Page : 132 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2016-01-18
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781783742011

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Metaethics from a First Person Standpoint by Catherine Wilson Pdf

Metaethics from a First Person Standpoint addresses in a novel format the major topics and themes of contemporary metaethics, the study of the analysis of moral thought and judgement. Metathetics is less concerned with what practices are right or wrong than with what we mean by ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’ Looking at a wide spectrum of topics including moral language, realism and anti-realism, reasons and motives, relativism, and moral progress, this book engages students and general readers in order to enhance their understanding of morality and moral discourse as cultural practices. Catherine Wilson innovatively employs a first-person narrator to report step-by-step an individual’s reflections, beginning from a position of radical scepticism, on the possibility of objective moral knowledge. The reader is invited to follow along with this reasoning, and to challenge or agree with each major point. Incrementally, the narrator is led to certain definite conclusions about ‘oughts’ and norms in connection with self-interest, prudence, social norms, and finally morality. Scepticism is overcome, and the narrator arrives at a good understanding of how moral knowledge and moral progress are possible, though frequently long in coming. Accessibly written, Metaethics from a First Person Standpoint presupposes no prior training in philosophy and is a must-read for philosophers, students and general readers interested in gaining a better understanding of morality as a personal philosophical quest.

Author : David Phillips
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2011-07-01
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780199779093

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Sidgwickian Ethics by David Phillips Pdf

Henry Sidgwick's The Methods of Ethics is one of the most important books in the history of moral philosophy. But it has not hitherto received the kind of sustained scholarly attention its stature merits. David Phillips aims in Sidgwickian Ethics to do something that has (surprisingly) not been done before: to interpret and evaluate the central argument of the Methods, in a way that brings out the important conceptual and historical connections between Sidgwick's views and contemporary moral philosophy. Sidgwick distinguished three basic methods: utilitarianism, egoism, and dogmatic intuitionism. And he focused on two conflicts: between utilitarianism and dogmatic intuitionism and between utilitarianism and egoism. Sidgwick believed he could largely resolve the conflict between utilitarianism and dogmatic intuitionism, but could not resolve the conflict between utilitarianism and egoism. Phillips suggests that the best way to approach Sidgwick's ideas is to start with his views on these two conflicts, and with the metaethical and epistemological ideas on which they depend. Phillips interprets and largely defends Sidgwick's non-naturalist metaethics and moderate intuitionist moral epistemology. But he argues for a verdict on the two conflicts different from Sidgwick's own. Phillips claims that Sidgwick is less successful than he thinks in resolving the conflict between utilitarianism and dogmatic intuitionism, and that Sidgwick's treatment of the conflict between utilitarianism and egoism is more successful than he thinks in that it provides the model for a plausible view of practical reason. Phillips's book will be of interest to two different groups of readers: to students seeking a brief introduction to Sidgwick's most important ideas and a guidebook to the Methods, and to scholars in ethics and the history of ideas concerned with Sidgwick's seminal contribution to moral philosophy.

Author : Tara Smith
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 330 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2006-04-03
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0521860504

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Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics by Tara Smith Pdf

Ayn Rand is well known for advocating egoism, but the substance of that egoism�s instruction is rarely understood. Far from representing the rejection of morality, selfishness, in Rand�s view, actually demands the practice of a systematic code of ethics. This book explains the fundamental virtues that Rand considers vital for a person to achieve his objective well-being: rationality, honesty, independence, justice, integrity, productiveness, and pride. Tara Smith examines what each of these virtues consists in, why it is a virtue, and what it demands of a person in practice.