From Principles to Practice

Knowledge aims to fit the world, and action to change it. In this collection of essays, Onora O'Neill explores the relationship between these concepts and shows that principles are not enough for ethical thought or action: we also need to understand how practical judgement identifies ways of enacting them and of changing the way things are. Both ethical and technical judgement are supported, she contends, by bringing to bear multiple considerations, ranging from ethical principles to real-world constraints, and while we will never find practical algorithms - let alone ethical algorithms - that resolve moral and political issues, good practical judgement can bring abstract principles to bear in situations that call for action. Her essays thus challenge claims that all inquiry must use either the empirical methods of scientific inquiry or the interpretive methods of the humanities. They will appeal to a range of readers in moral and political philosophy.

“Advance praise: 'Onora O'Neill has done seminal work on the interpretation of Kant's moral theory and the development of a modern Kantian ethic over the last several decades. This volume collects several recent essays that take up the role of principles in moral reasoning, the relation between principles and judgement, and related issues. Professor O'Neill's views and insights about these questions are invaluable. This volume will be of interest to anyone working in moral or political philosophy.' Andrews Reath, University of California”

'Onora O'Neill has done seminal work on the interpretation of Kant's moral theory and the development of a modern Kantian ethic over the last several decades. This volume collects several recent essays that take up the role of principles in moral reasoning, the relation between principles and judgement, and related issues. Professor O'Neill's views and insights about these questions are invaluable. This volume will be of interest to anyone working in moral or political philosophy.' Andrews Reath, University of California

Onora O'Neill, Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve, is a former Principal of Newnham College Cambridge, sits as a cross-bench peer in the House of Lords and is Emeritus Honorary Professor at the University of Cambridge. She has published widely on Kant's philosophy and her most recent publications include Constructing Authorities (Cambridge, 2016), and Justice Across Boundaries: Whose Obligations? (Cambridge, 2016).

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