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What makes an action right, and what gives a moral judgment its authority? This introductory philosophy volume compares several major ways of answering those questions, moving from relativism and religious accounts of obligation to virtue, self-interest, consequences, duties, relationships, and evolutionary explanations of moral behaviour.
Eight chapters develop distinct approaches rather than presenting one system as the final answer. Readers encounter moral subjectivism, divine command and natural law theories, Aristotle and other traditions of virtue ethics, egoism and social contract theory, utilitarianism, and Kantian deontology. The later chapters examine feminist ethics and the relationship between evolution and moral knowledge. Examples and arguments show how the theories differ over motivation, impartiality, character, and the justification of moral rules.
Edited by George Matthews, with Christina Hendricks as series editor, the book includes contributor biographies, references, and an account of its open textbook review and publication process. It suits adult independent readers and introductory university study.
Contributors: Frank Aragbonfoh Abumere; Douglas Giles; Ya-Yun (Sherry) Kao; Michael Klenk; Joseph Kranak; Kathryn MacKay; Jeffrey Morgan; Paul Rezkalla. George Matthews (book editor); Christina Hendricks (series editor). Rebus Community, 2019. CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Cover art by Heather Salazar; cover design by Jonathan Lashley. Original edition and separately credited illustration notices retained.