Synopses & Reviews
What is 'virtue'?
And how can we lead moral lives?
Exploring how contemporary moral philosophy has led to a revival of interest in the concepts of 'virtue', 'character' and 'flourishing', this is an accessible and critical introduction to virtue ethics. Comprising of three parts, the first part examines the work of key contemporary thinkers such as Elizabeth Anscombe and Bernard Williams in calling for a change of direction in moral philosophy and adopting a different approach to answering questions such as 'How should I live my life?'. The second part develops a detailed account of Aristotelian eudaimonistic virtue ethics, which considers the virtuous agent to be an ideal and highlights the importance of moral perception and practical wisdom. In the final part, Athanassoulis explores new challenges to virtue ethics from psychology, discusses the practical implications of educating for the virtues and finally considers the neo-Kantian response to virtue ethics.
Virtue Ethics also includes chapter summaries and guides to further reading throughout to help readers explore, understand and develop a critical perspective towards this important school of contemporary ethical thought.
Synopsis
From Aristotle to MacIntyre, this introduction to virtue ethics critically explores competing accounts of 'virtue' and potential uses and future directions for the discipline.
Synopsis
What is 'virtue'?
And how can we lead moral lives?
Exploring how contemporary moral philosophy has led to a revival of interest in the concepts of 'virtue', 'character' and 'flourishing', this is an accessible and critical introduction to virtue ethics. Comprising of three parts, the first part examines the work of key contemporary thinkers such as Elizabeth Anscombe and Bernard Williams in calling for a change of direction in moral philosophy and adopting a different approach to answering questions such as 'How should I live my life?'. The second part develops a detailed account of Aristotelian eudaimonistic virtue ethics, which considers the virtuous agent to be an ideal and highlights the importance of moral perception and practical wisdom. In the final part, Athanassoulis explores new challenges to virtue ethics from psychology, discusses the practical implications of educating for the virtues and finally considers the neo-Kantian response to virtue ethics.
Virtue Ethics also includes chapter summaries and guides to further reading throughout to help readers explore, understand and develop a critical perspective towards this important school of contemporary ethical thought.
Synopsis
What is 'virtue'?
And how can we lead 'moral' lives?
Exploring how contemporary moral philosophy has tackled the issue of 'character', this is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to virtue ethics. Looking back to Aristotle and considering the work of key contemporary thinkers such as MacIntyre and McDowell, Virtue critically explores the historical development of the field and competing accounts within it. From here, the book goes on to defend an Aristotelian account of virtue ethics that emphasizes moral perception and practical wisdom and explore the potential use of this approach in medical ethics and other areas of applied ethics. In its final section, the book also explores new challenges and insights from psychology and potential future directions in virtue ethics.
Virtue also includes chapter summaries and guides to further reading throughout to help readers explore and master this important school of contemporary ethical thought.
Synopsis
What is 'virtue'?And how can we lead 'moral' lives?Exploring how contemporary moral philosophy has tackled the issue of 'character', this is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to virtue ethics. Looking back to Aristotle and considering the work of key contemporary thinkers such as MacIntyre and McDowell, Virtue critically explores the historical development of the field and competing accounts within it. From here, the book goes on to defend an Aristotelian account of virtue ethics that emphasizes moral perception and practical wisdom and explore the potential use of this approach in medical ethics and other areas of applied ethics. In its final section, the book also explores new challenges and insights from psychology and potential future directions in virtue ethics.Virtue also includes chapter summaries and guides to further reading throughout to help readers explore and master this important school of contemporary ethical thought.
Synopsis
What is 'virtue'?
And how can we lead moral lives?
Exploring how contemporary moral philosophy has led to a revival of interest in the concepts of 'virtue', 'character' and 'flourishing', this is an accessible and critical introduction to virtue ethics. Comprising of three parts, the first part examines the work of key contemporary thinkers such as Elizabeth Anscombe and Bernard Williams in calling for a change of direction in moral philosophy and adopting a different approach to answering questions such as 'How should I live my life?'. The second part develops a detailed account of Aristotelian eudaimonistic virtue ethics, which considers the virtuous agent to be an ideal and highlights the importance of moral perception and practical wisdom. In the final part, Athanassoulis explores new challenges to virtue ethics from psychology, discusses the practical implications of educating for the virtues and finally considers the neo-Kantian response to virtue ethics.
Virtue Ethics also includes chapter summaries and guides to further reading throughout to help readers explore, understand and develop a critical perspective towards this important school of contemporary ethical thought.
Synopsis
A critical introductory account of the development of modern virtue ethics, from its roots in Aristotelian thought, to contemporary versions of eudaimonistic ethics; the volume also includes discussions of the theory's contribution to debates in applied philosophy.
Synopsis
From Aristotle to MacIntyre, this introduction to virtue ethics critically explores competing accounts of 'virtue' and potential uses and future directions for the discipline.
Synopsis
From Aristotle to MacIntyre, this introduction to virtue ethics critically explores competing accounts of 'virtue' and potential uses and future directions for the discipline.
Synopsis
What is 'virtue'?And how can we lead moral lives?
Exploring how contemporary moral philosophy has led to a revival of interest in the concepts of 'virtue', 'character' and 'flourishing', this is an accessible and critical introduction to virtue ethics. Comprising of three parts, the first part examines the work of key contemporary thinkers such as Elizabeth Anscombe and Bernard Williams in calling for a change of direction in moral philosophy and adopting a different approach to answering questions such as 'How should I live my life?'. The second part develops a detailed account of Aristotelian eudaimonistic virtue ethics, which considers the virtuous agent to be an ideal and highlights the importance of moral perception and practical wisdom. In the final part, Athanassoulis explores new challenges to virtue ethics from psychology, discusses the practical implications of educating for the virtues and finally considers the neo-Kantian response to virtue ethics.
Virtue Ethics also includes chapter summaries and guides to further reading throughout to help readers explore, understand and develop a critical perspective towards this important school of contemporary ethical thought.
Synopsis
What is 'virtue'?And how can we lead 'moral' lives?
Exploring how contemporary moral philosophy has tackled the issue of 'character', this is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to virtue ethics. Looking back to Aristotle and considering the work of key contemporary thinkers such as MacIntyre and McDowell, Virtue critically explores the historical development of the field and competing accounts within it. From here, the book goes on to defend an Aristotelian account of virtue ethics that emphasizes moral perception and practical wisdom and explore the potential use of this approach in medical ethics and other areas of applied ethics. In its final section, the book also explores new challenges and insights from psychology and potential future directions in virtue ethics.
Virtue also includes chapter summaries and guides to further reading throughout to help readers explore and master this important school of contemporary ethical thought.
Synopsis
What is 'virtue'?
And how can we lead 'moral' lives?
Exploring how contemporary moral philosophy has tackled the issue of 'character', this is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to virtue ethics. Looking back to Aristotle and considering the work of key contemporary thinkers such as MacIntyre and McDowell, Virtue critically explores the historical development of the field and competing accounts within it. From here, the book goes on to defend an Aristotelian account of virtue ethics that emphasizes moral perception and practical wisdom and explore the potential use of this approach in medical ethics and other areas of applied ethics. In its final section, the book also explores new challenges and insights from psychology and potential future directions in virtue ethics.
Virtue also includes chapter summaries and guides to further reading throughout to help readers explore and master this important school of contemporary ethical thought.
About the Author
Nafsika Athanassoulis is an independent researcher and has previously taught at Keele University and the University of Leeds, UK. She is the author of Morality, Moral Responsibility and Moral Luck (Palgrave, 2005), editor of Philosophical Reflections on Medical Ethics (Palgrave, 2010) and, with Samantha Vice, editor of The Moral Life: essays in honour of John Cottingham (Palgrave, 2008).
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements \ Abbreviations,Sources and Translations \ Introduction \ Part
I: Virtue Ethics as New Alternative \ 1. Virtue Ethics, A Revived Alternative\ 2. Ethics and Morality \ 3. Character and the Emotions \ Conclusion for PartI \
Part II: Virtue Ethics Comes of Age\ 4. Virtue; An Aristotelian Definition I \ 5. Virtue; An Aristotelian DefinitionII \ 6. A Naturalistic Account of Virtue \ Conclusion for Part II \ Part III: Current Developments in Virtue
Ethics \ 7. The Challenge from Personality Psychology \ 8. Moral Educationand the Virtues \ 9. The Kantian Response \ Conclusion for Part III Conclusion \ Notes \ Bibliography \ Index