Moral Theory

Moral Theory: An Introduction explores some of the historically most important and currently debated moral theories about the nature of the right and the good, including divine command theory, relativism, natural law theory, consequentialism, egoism, Kant’s ethics, ethics of prima facie duties, contractualism, virtue ethics and care ethics. Providing an introduction to moral theory that explains and critically examines the theories of such classical philosophers as Aristotle, Aquinas, Bentham, Kant, Mill, and Ross, this book acquaints students with the work of contemporary moral philosophers. Each chapter has been revised and updated. The third edition includes a new chapter on moral contractualism and an extensively revised chapter on virtue ethics and care ethics. Additionally, the book discusses recent work by moral psychologists making an impact on moral theory.

“The organization in Moral Theory: An Introduction is simply excellent. The framework for the book connects the whole together and the scope is better than other comparable texts I've seen.”

Like its predecessors, this third edition of Moral Theory offers a well-focused, clear account of moral theories. In a philosophical area marked by the tendency to speak in terms of abstract concepts and isms, Timmons makes frequent, effective use of particular cases, stories, and examples to illustrate the moral theory under discussion.... Throughout, Timmons is careful to present a balanced view of the theory--he mentions both the attractive points and the potential negative points of the theory in question. A useful appendix provides standards for evaluating moral theories. Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; general readers.

The best thing about Moral Theory might be that it clearly sets forth major aims of moral theory, derives some standards by which to assess moral theories from those aims, and then explicitly applies those standards to the moral theories explained."

Mark Timmons is professor of philosophy at the University of Arizona. He has published extensively on topics in moral theory, metaethics, and Kant’s ethics. He is author of Morality without Foundations (1999), Kant’s Doctrine of Virtue: A Guide (2021) and editor of the annual Oxford Studies in Normative Ethics.

Moral Theory: An Introduction explores some of the historically most important and currently debated moral theories about the nature of the right and the good, including divine command theory, relativism, natural law theory, consequentialism, egoism, Kant's ethics, ethics of prima facie duties, contractualism, virtue ethics and care ethics. Providing an introduction to moral theory that explains and critically examines the theories of such classical philosophers as Aristotle, Aquinas, Bentham, Kant, Mill, and Ross, this book acquaints students with the work of contemporary moral philosophers. Each chapter has been revised and updated. The third edition includes a new chapter on moral contractualism and an extensively revised chapter on virtue ethics and care ethics. Additionally, the book discusses recent work by moral psychologists making an impact on moral theory.

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