
Joseph Butler's Fifteen Sermons (1729) is a classic work of moral philosophy, which remains widely influential. The topics Butler discusses include the role of conscience in human nature, self-love and egoism, compassion, resentment and forgiveness, and love of our neighbour and of God. The text of the enlarged and corrected second edition is here presented together with a selection of Butler's other ethical writings: A Dissertation of the Nature of Virtue, A Sermon Preached Before the House of Lords, and relevant extracts from his correspondence with Samuel Clarke. While this is a readers' edition that avoids cluttering Butler's text with textual variants and intrusive footnotes, it comes complete with scholarly apparatus intended to aid the reader in studying Butlers work in depth. David McNaughton contributes a substantial historical and philosophical introduction that highlights the continuing importance of these works. In addition, there are extensive notes at the end of the volume, including significant textual variants, and full details of Butler's sources and references, as well as short summaries of Butler's predecessors, and a selective bibliography. This will be the definitive resource for anyone interested in Butler's moral philosophy.
How does the structure of human nature, specifically the interplay between conscience, self-love, and benevolence, provide a coherent foundation for moral obligation? David McNaughton, a scholar of moral philosophy, presents this collection to re-examine Butler's 18th-century arguments regarding the psychological and theological components of ethical behavior. The volume utilizes the second edition of the Fifteen Sermons as its primary text, supplemented by additional dissertations and correspondence to clarify Butler's position on virtue and human motivation.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts recognize this volume as a standard, accessible resource for students and researchers engaging with 18th-century moral theory. Readers frequently note that the inclusion of historical context and clear editorial notes makes Butler's dense prose significantly more approachable for modern study.
Page Count:
244
Publication Date:
2017-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191080470
ISBN-13:
9780191080470
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