A Guide to Ethics and Moral Philosophy

Brent Adkins

Published by Edinburgh University Press 2017

A Guide to Ethics and Moral Philosophy

Brent Adkins

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781474422796

Overview
Contents

About this book

A student’s guide to ethics and moral philosophy in its historical context

Download a free sample chapter (pdf)

How should we live? How should we act? How might we live? These are the three questions of moral philosophy. Brent Adkins traces the history of ethics and morality by examining six thinkers: Aristotle, Spinoza, Kant, Mill, Nietzsche and Levinas. The book is divided into 3 sections – Ethics, Morality and Beyond. Two thinkers are paired in each section to show you how the important questions of moral philosophy have been answered so that you might better answer them for yourself. You’ll learn what the philosophers actually said about how to live the best kind of life and, more importantly, why.

Key Features

Each chapter includes definitions of key terms
The end of each chapter includes summaries and discussion questions, which reinforce and apply the material
The discussion of each thinker is centered on a specific text for ease of reference and clarity of understanding: Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Spinoza’s Ethics, Kant’s Groundwork, Mill’s Utilitarianism, Nietzsche’s Genealogy and Levinas’ ‘Ethics as First Philosophy’
Includes a glossary and a helpful timeline to contextualise each philosopher's life and work

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Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Glossary Publicly Available Download PDF	viii
Introduction: Three Questions Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
PART I ETHICS HOW SHOULD WE LIVE? ARISTOTLE AND SPINOZA
1 Aristotle: Happiness is the Good (Nicomachean Ethics, Books 1 and 2) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	7
2 Aristotle: Virtue and the Highest Happiness (Nicomachean Ethics, Books 2, 6 and 10) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	19
3 Spinoza: The Universe and Power (Ethics, Parts 1, 2, and 3) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	33
4 Spinoza: Emotions and Freedom (Ethics, Parts 4 and 5) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	45
PART II MORALITY HOW SHOULD WE ACT? KANT AND MILL
5 Kant: Happiness is not the Good (Groundwork, Part 1) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	59
6 Kant: The Categorical Imperative (Groundwork, Part 2) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	71
7 Mill: Happiness is Pleasure (Utilitarianism, Chapters 1 and 2) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	83
8 Mill: The Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number (Utilitarianism, Chapters 3, 4, and 5) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	95
PART III BEYOND HOW MIGHT WE LIVE? NIETZSCHE AND LEVINAS
9 Nietzsche: These are the Wrong Questions (Genealogy of Morals, First Essay) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	109
10 Nietzsche: Morality and Power (Genealogy of Morals, Second Essay) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	121
11 Levinas: Philosophy and Appropriation (“Ethics as First Philosophy”) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	133
12 Levinas: Ethics and the Other (“Ethics as First Philosophy”) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	146
Conclusion: Beyond Beyond Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	159
Suggestions for Further Reading Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	162
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	165
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	169

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Audience: College/higher education;
Pages
- Main content: 184
Illustrations
- Other: 9 B/W illustrations 4 B/W tables
Keywords: Philosophy

eBook

Published: April 19, 2017
ISBN: 9781474422796