Ethical Theory

Russ Shafer-Landau is Department Chair and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His previous publications include The Foundations of Ethics: An Anthology (2006, with Terence Cuneo) and Moral Realism: A Defense (2003). He also the editor of Oxford Studies in Metaethics.

• Preface xi Source Acknowledgments xiiiPart I The Status of Morality 1Introduction to Part I 31. “Of the Influencing Motives of the Will” and “Moral Distinctions Not Derived from Reason” 7David Hume2. A Critique of Ethics 16A. J. Ayer3. The Subjectivity of Values 22J. L. Mackie4. Ethics and Observation 31Gilbert Harman5. Moral Relativism Defended 35Gilbert Harman6. Cultural Relativism 44Harry Gensler7. The Subject-Matter of Ethics 48G. E. Moore8. Ethics as Philosophy: A Defense of Ethical Nonnaturalism 54Russ Shafer-Landau9. Realism 63Michael SmithPart II Moral Knowledge 69Introduction to Part II 7110. Thinking About Cases 74Shelly Kagan11. But I Could be Wrong 85George Sher12. Proof 94Renford Bambrough13. Moral Knowledge and Ethical Pluralism 101Robert Audi14. Coherentism and the Justification of Moral Beliefs 112Geoffrey Sayre-McCordPart III Why Be Moral? 127Introduction to Part III 12915. The Immoralist’s Challenge 132Plato16. Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives 138Philippa Foot17. A Puzzle About the Rational Authority of Morality 144David O. Brink18. Moral Rationalism 159Russ Shafer-Landau19. Psychological Egoism 167Joel Feinberg20. Flourishing Egoism 178Lester Hunt21. Ethical Egoism 193James Rachels22. Moral Saints 200Susan WolfPart IV Ethics and Religion 213Introduction to Part IV 21523. Euthyphro 218Plato24. A New Divine Command Theory 220Robert Merrihew Adams25. God and Objective Morality: A Debate 225William Lane Craig and Walter Sinnott-Armstrong26. God and Immortality as Postulates of Pure Practical Reason 230Immanuel Kant27. God and the Moral Order 234C. Stephen Layman28. God and Morality 242Erik WielenbergPart V Value 253Introduction to Part V 25529. Hedonism 258John Stuart Mill30. The Experience Machine 264Robert Nozick31. The Good Life: A Defense of Attitudinal Hedonism 266Fred Feldman32. Rationality and Full Information 277Thomas Carson33. Desire and the Human Good 286Richard Kraut34. What Makes Someone’s Life Go Best 294Derek Parfit35. What Things are Good? 299W. D. RossPart VI Moral Responsibility 303Introduction to Part VI 30536. Determinism and the Theory of Agency 308Richard Taylor37. The Impossibility of Moral Responsibility 312Galen Strawson38. Freedom and Necessity 317A. J. Ayer39. Moral Luck 322Thomas Nagel40. Sanity and the Metaphysics of Responsibility 330Susan Wolf41. Freedom and Resentment 340Peter StrawsonPart VII Moral Standing 353Introduction to Part VII 35542. We Have No Duties to Animals 359Immanuel Kant43. All Animals are Equal 361Peter Singer44. The Rights of Animals and Unborn Generations 372Joel Feinberg45. On Being Morally Considerable 381Kenneth Goodpaster46. Abortion and Infanticide 390Michael Tooley47. An Argument that Abortion is Wrong 400Don MarquisPart VIII Consequentialism 411Introduction to Part VIII 41348. Utilitarianism 417John Stuart Mill49. Extreme and Restricted Utilitarianism 423J. J. C. Smart50. Rule-Consequentialism 428Brad Hooker51. Alienation, Consequentialism, and the Demands of Morality 441Peter Railton52. What is Wrong with Slavery 458R. M. Hare53. Famine, Affluence and Morality 466Peter Singer54. The Survival Lottery 474John HarrisPart IX Deontology 479Introduction to Part IX 48155. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals 485Immanuel Kant56. Kant’s Formula of Universal Law 499Christine Korsgaard57. Kantian Approaches to Some Famine Problems 510Onora O’Neill58. The Rationality of Side Constraints 521Robert Nozick59. The Golden Rule Rationalized 524Alan Gewirth60. The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of the Double Effect 536Philippa Foot61. Killing, Letting Die, and the Trolley Problem 543Judith Jarvis ThomsonPart X Contractarianism 553Introduction to Part X 55562. Leviathan 558Thomas Hobbes63. Why Contractarianism? 571David Gauthier64. A Theory of Justice 581John Rawls65. Contractualism and Utilitarianism 593T. M. ScanlonPart XI Virtue Ethics 609Introduction to Part XI 61166. The Nature of Virtue 615Aristotle67. Non-Relative Virtues: An Aristotelian Approach 630Martha Nussbaum68. Normative Virtue Ethics 645Rosalind Hursthouse69. Agent-Based Virtue Ethics 653Michael Slote70. A Virtue Ethical Account of Right Action 664Christine Swanton71. Being Virtuous and Doing the Right Thing 676Julia AnnasPart XII Feminist Ethics 687Introduction to Part XII 68972. In a Different Voice 692Carol Gilligan73. An Ethic of Caring 699Nell Noddings74. Justice, Care, and Gender Bias 713Cheshire Calhoun75. The Need for More than Justice 721Annette Baier76. Sexism 729Marilyn Frye77. Feminist Skepticism, Authority, and Transparency 735Margaret Urban WalkerPart XIII Prima Facie Duties and Particularism 751Introduction to Part XIII 75378. What Makes Right Acts Right? 756W. D. Ross79. An Unconnected Heap of Duties? 763David McNaughton80. An Unprincipled Morality 772Jonathan Dancy81. On Knowing the “Why”: Particularism and Moral Theory 776Margaret Olivia Little82. Unprincipled Ethics 785Gerald Dworkin