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Books > Humanities > Philosophy > Topics in philosophy > Ethics & moral philosophy
This classic collection of essays, first published in 1979, has had
an enduring influence on philosophical work on the nature of law
and its relation to morality. Raz begins by presenting an analysis
of the concept of authority and what is involved in law's claim to
moral authority. He then develops a detailed explanation of the
nature of law and legal systems, presenting a seminal argument for
legal positivism. Within this framework Raz then examines the areas
of legal thought that have been viewed as impregnated with moral
values - namely the social functions of law, the ideal of the rule
of law, and the adjudicative role of the courts.
The final part of the book is given to understanding the proper
moral attitude of a citizen towards the law. Raz examines whether
the citizen is under a moral obligation to obey the law and whether
there is a right to dissent. Two appendices, added for the revised
edition, develop Raz's views on the nature of law, offering a
further dialogue with the work of Hans Kelsen, and a reply to
Robert Alexy's criticisms of legal positivism.
This revised edition makes accessible one of the classic works of
modern legal philosophy, and represents an ideal companion to Raz's
new collection, Between Authority and Interpretation.
The principal aim of this volume is to elucidate what freedom,
sovereignty, and autonomy mean for Nietzsche and what philosophical
resources he gives us to re-think these crucial concepts. A related
aim is to examine how Nietzsche connects these concepts to his
thoughts about life-affirmation, self-love, promise-making, agency,
the 'will to nothingness', and the 'eternal recurrence', as well as
to his search for a 'genealogical' understanding of morality.
These twelve essays by leading Nietzsche scholars ask such key
questions as: Can we reconcile his rejection of free will with his
positive invocations of the notion of free will? How does
Nietzsche's celebration of freedom and free spirits sit with his
claim that we all have an unchangeable fate? What is the relation
between his concepts of freedom and self-overcoming?
The depth in which these and related issues are explored gives this
volume its value, not only to those interested in Nietzsche, but to
all who are concerned with the free will debate, ethics, theory of
action, and the history of philosophy.
Structured directly around the specification of the OCR, this is
the definitive textbook for students of Advanced Subsidiary or
Advanced Level courses. The updated third edition covers all the
necessary topics for Religious Ethics in an enjoyable
student-friendly fashion. Each chapter includes: a list of key
issues OCR specification checklist explanations of key terminology
overviews of key scholars and theories self-test review questions
exam practice questions. To maximise students' chances of success,
the book contains a section dedicated to answering examination
questions. It comes complete with diagrams and tables, lively
illustrations, a comprehensive glossary and full bibliography.
Additional resources are available via the companion website.
The US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 prompted unprecedented public
interest in the ethics of war, a debate that has raged furiously in
the media, in politics and in the public consciousness ever since.
In this fascinating and informative book, Nicholas Fotion explores
the notion of developing an ethical theory that guides the
behaviour of those who are at war.Fotion gives a clear account of
just war theory, presenting it as a useful device in helping us
make decisions about what we should do when war appears on the
horizon. Examining conflicts such as Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Israel,
the Falklands and Afghanistan, the book interrogates the roles of
the various parties involved in military action. Articulate,
provocative and stimulating, "War and Ethics" is an ideal
introduction to this hugely important debate."Think Now" is a brand
new series of stimulating and accessible books examining key
contemporary social issues from a philosophical perspective.
Written by experts in philosophy, these books offer sophisticated
and provocative yet engaging writing on political and cultural
themes of genuine concern to the educated reader.
Oxford Studies in Metaethics is the only publication devoted
exclusively to original philosophical work in the foundations of
ethics. It provides an annual selection of much of the best new
scholarship being done in the field. Its broad purview includes
work being done at the intersections of ethical theory with
metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, and philosophy
of mind. The essays included in the series provide an excellent
basis for understanding recent developments in the field; those who
would like to acquaint themselves with the current state of play in
metaethics would do well to start here.
This book provides essential reading for anyone with an academic or
professional interest in business ethics today.
This is the first philosophy textbook in moral psychology,
introducing students to a range of philosophical topics and debates
such as: What is moral motivation? Do reasons for action always
depend on desires? Is emotion or reason at the heart of moral
judgment? Under what conditions are people morally responsible? Are
there self-interested reasons for people to be moral? Moral
Psychology: A Contemporary Introduction presents research by
philosophers and psychologists on these topics, and addresses the
overarching question of how empirical research is (or is not)
relevant to philosophical inquiry.
Antonaccio presents the first systematic analysis of Murdoch's moral philosophy to date. The book advances a distinctive thesis about the underlying structure of Murdoch's thought, suggests a new interretive method for reading her philosophy, and outlines the significance of her thought in the context of current debates in ethics.
This volume features more than 25 papers that were presented at the
2014 Conference of the International Association for the Study of
Controversies, IASC, held at the University of Salento, Lecce,
Italy. It looks at conflict and conflict resolution from diverse
perspectives, including philosophy, psychology, law, and history.
Coverage explores the paradox of conflict and examines how discord,
whether large or small, international or internal, can be both a
source of chaos as well as a foundation for unity, a limitation of
potential as well as an entryway to a greater depth of living.
Inside, readers will discover thought-provoking answers to such
questions as: What are the conditions to ensure that a conflict can
be converted into cooperation? If the conflict between interests
can be solved by a compromise, what happens when a conflict
involves non-negotiable values ? In the management of a conflict,
what role is played by argumentation? What are the latest
perspectives in conflict management? How does the theory of
controversies allows us to recognize and resolve conflicts? By the
end of the book, readers will have a better understanding of how
conflict can be transcended and how it's possible to redefine the
conflicting situation so that what seemed incompatible and locked
may, in fact, open a new perspective.
This collection of essays cuts to the quick of the most pressing
moral issues facing decision-makers today, from the actions of
ordinary soldiers in a combat zone to presidents deciding when and
where to use force. Ethics lie at the heart of human and therefore
also international affairs, compelling nations to get involved
"over there" and dedicate resources to intervention or to justify
detachment. The politics and rhetoric of ethics constrain
decision-makers, greatly complicating international situations.
This third edition of Ethics and Statecraft addresses the moral
reasoning behind the art of peacemaking as well as the ethics and
statecraft of conducting war. The coverage ranges from historical
transformations of whole eras of diplomatic and international
history to issues of ethics of bombing and the laws of war.
Specific attention is paid to emerging issues such as armed
humanitarian intervention and sanctions, drone wars, war crimes,
and economic justice. The work is ideally suited for undergraduate
and graduate students of international relations, history,
political science, and ethics. It will also be useful for NGO
officials and military officers struggling with these issues in the
field. General readers will find illumination of highly relevant
historical issues-including Allied bombing of civilians during
World War II-that set precedents for both expansion and limitations
on the laws of war. They will also encounter pressing modern-day
quandaries, such as the conditions that permit or even require
military or humanitarian intervention, and the impact of new
technologies on old moral problems. Provides clear, non-partisan,
and non-ideological scholarly coverage of historical as well as
contemporary moral issues in international affairs Ranges subject
matter from diplomacy, military decision-making, and international
law to humanitarian intervention and the definition and protection
of the basic human rights Presents the collective expertise and
multinational perspectives of an international group of scholars
Expands on work already well received by scholars, educators, and
international practitioners in two earlier editions
Significance and System: Essays on Kant's Ethics brings together
central lines of thought in Mark Timmons's work on Kant's moral
theory. The first part of the book concerns the interpretation and
justification of the categorical imperative in which Timmons argues
for a "differential roles" interpretation of the categorical
imperative, according to which distinct formulations of this
principle play different roles in the overall economy of Kant's
ethics. In addition he offers a detailed interpretation of the
analytic/synthetic distinction in Kant's ethics that plays a
central role in Kant's justification of his supreme moral
principle. In the second part, Timmons addresses questions about
the relation between motive and rightness, arguing, for example,
that contemporary Kantians have misunderstood that relation. This
part also examines Kant's attempt in the Doctrine of Virtue to
ground a system of ethical duties in the categorical imperative. In
part three, Timmons turns to issues in Kant's psychology of moral
evil, including the psychology of the devilish vices. Throughout
Timmons combines interpretive insight with a critical eye in
interpreting and criticizing Kant's ethical thought.
Emotions shape our mental and social lives. Their relation to
morality is, however, problematic. Since ancient times,
philosophers have disagreed about the place of emotions in
morality. One the one hand, some hold that emotions are disorderly
and unpredictable animal drives, which undermine our autonomy and
interfere with our reasoning. For them, emotions represent a
persistent source of obstacles to morality, as in the case of
self-love. Some virtues, such as prudence, temperance, and
fortitude, require or simply consist in the capacity to counteract
the disruptive effect of emotions. On the other hand, venerable
traditions of thought place emotions such as respect, love, and
compassion at the very heart of morality. Emotions are sources of
moral knowledge, modes of moral recognition, discernment, valuing,
and understanding. Emotions such as blame, guilt, and shame are the
voice of moral conscience, and are central to the functioning of
our social lives and normative practices. New scientific findings
about the pervasiveness of emotions posit new challenges to ethical
theory. Are we responsible for emotions? What is their relation to
practical rationality? Are they roots of our identity or threats to
our autonomy? This volume is born out of the conviction that
philosophy provides a distinctive approach to these problems.
Fourteen original articles, by prominent scholars in moral
psychology and philosophy of mind, offer new arguments about the
relation between emotions and practical rationality, value,
autonomy, and moral identity.
An alternative, fallibilist model of moral reasoning rooted in the
American Pragmatic tradition. Additional resources drawn from
Chinese philosophy, Jain epistemology, modern philosophy of
mathematics, and the Gadamerian hermeneutical tradition serve both
to corroborate the argumentation and to provide examples of
continuities in reasoning that cross the boundaries of disparate
traditions.
In this new translation, Laruelle offers a serious and rigorous
challenge to contemporary theological thought, calling into
question the dominant understanding of the relation between Christ,
theology, and philosophy, not only from a theoretical, but also
political perspective. He achieves this through an inversion of St
Paul's reading of Christ, through which the ground for Christianity
shifts. It is no longer the 'event' of the resurrection, as
philosophical and theological operation (Badiou's St Paul), so much
as the Risen Himself that forms the starting point for a
non-philosophical confession. Between the Greek and the Jew,
Laruelle places the Gnostic-Christ in order to disrupt and overturn
such theologico-philosophical interpretations of the resurrection
and set the Risen within the radical immanence of Man-in-Person.
Forming the basis for a non-Christianity, Clandestine Theology
offers a more radical deconstruction of Christianity, resting upon
the last identity of Man and the humanity of Christ as opposed to
endless deferral or difference (Nancy) or the universalising
economy of Ideas and Events (Badiou).
The chapters in this volume recognize that different contexts,
sites, and institutional goals will raise different sets of
questions and judgements about what constitutes ethical writing
instruction, ethical response to written texts, and ethical
evaluation of a writers process and products. They do not aim to
resolve all the ethical questions that might arise in and about
composition classrooms, but they present a panoply of views,
arguments, and perspectives on what it means to talk about ethics
in the writing classroom and thereby encourage writing teachers to
consider the ethical dimensions of their own instructional
practices.
For the Common Good showcases the insights, reflections, and
recommendations of some of today's most forward-thinking and
inspiring leaders, as they explore the challenges of leadership in
the context of our global, 21st-century society. Featuring original
essays by such luminaries as Nobel Prize winner John Hume;
Leader-to-Leader Chair Frances Hesselbein; Harvard University's
Howard Gardner; M.K. Gandhi Institute's Founder Arun Gandhi; poet
David Whyte; and President Jimmy Carter, For the Common Good
stresses the need for a new kind of leadership committed to
promoting social welfare, justice, and opportunity. Against the
all-too-familiar backdrop of corporate malfeasance, scandal in our
religious institutions, political chicanery to serve ulterior
motives, and constant reminders of the corruptive influences of
power, the contributors apply their expertise in such fields as
ecology, education, and conflict resolution to illuminate emerging
roles and responsibilities of today's leaders. Collectively, the
authors argue that because individuals, institutions, and societies
are now so profoundly connected and inter-related, every decision
of consequence has a ripple effect. Leaders of all stripes,
including corporate executives, politicians, social activists,
scientists, and educators, must display courage, integrity,
humility, and the wherewithal to consider the long-term impact of
their decision and actions. Most important, they must engage in
dialogue and recognize that creative solutions to complex problems
require collaboration across sectors and cultures to achieve common
goals. The result is a provocative and multidimensional exploration
of leadership in troubled and troublingtimes--but with a hopeful
note that individuals and organizations will rise to the
challenges.
This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open
Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.
For Hannah Arendt, friendship had political relevance and
importance. The essence of friendship, she believed, consisted in
discourse, and it is only through discourse, she argued, that the
world is rendered humane. This book explores some of the key ideas
in Hannah Arendt's work through a study of four lifelong
friendships -- with Heinrich Blucher, Martin Heidegger, Karl
Jaspers and Mary McCarthy. The book draws on correspondence from
both sides, illuminating our understanding of the social contexts
within which Arendt's thinking developed and was clarified. It
offers a cultural history of ideas: shedding light on two core
ideas in Arendt - of 'plurality' and 'promise', and on how those
particular ideas emerged through a particular set of relationships,
at a significant moment in the history of the West. This book
offers an original and accessible 'way in' to Arendt's work for
students and scholars of politics, philosophy, intellectual history
and literature.
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