
What is the human good? What are the primary virtues that make a good person? What makes an action right? Must we try to maximize good consequences? How can we know what is right and good? Can morality be rationally justified? In Ethics Through History, Terence Irwin addresses such fundamental questions, making these central debates intelligible to readers without an extensive background in philosophy. He provides a historical and philosophical discussion of major questions and key philosophers in the history of ethics, in the tradition that begins with Socrates onwards. Irwin covers ancient, medieval, and modern moral philosophers whose views have helped to form the agenda for contemporary ethical theory, paying attention to the strengths and weaknesses of their respective positions.
How can the fundamental questions of morality be rationally justified and understood through the lens of historical philosophical inquiry? Terence Irwin, a distinguished scholar in the history of philosophy, utilizes a chronological framework to examine the evolution of ethical thought. By tracing the development of moral theory from Socrates through the modern era, he provides a structured analysis of how various philosophers have defined the human good, virtue, and the rightness of actions. The text serves as a bridge for readers to engage with complex ethical debates by contextualizing them within their historical origins.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts frequently cite this work as a highly accessible yet rigorous introduction for students and those new to the field of ethics. Readers often note the clarity of the prose, which manages to distill dense historical arguments into a coherent narrative without sacrificing intellectual depth.
Page Count:
330
Publication Date:
2020-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0192597825
ISBN-13:
9780192597823
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!