Virtue EthicsVirtue Ethics
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.
Writing for an audience with general background knowledge of moral philosophy, particularly with regards to normative theories such as deontology and consequentialism, Athanassoulis (ethics, Keele U., England) presents a critical introduction to virtue ethics. Rejecting the contemporary divide between teaching philosophy and researching philosophy, she combines an introductory textbook approach with critical reflection. Her presentation is organized into three sections which are structured around the philosophers that led the revival of virtue ethics in response to dissatisfaction with deontology and consequentialism, the presentation and defense of a particular account of virtue ethics inspired by Aristotelian ideas and the concept of the eudaimon (well-led) life, and an account of current developments and possible future directions in the field of virtue ethics. Bloomsbury Academic is an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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.
From Aristotle to MacIntyre, this introduction to virtue ethics critically explores competing accounts of 'virtue' and potential uses and future directions for the discipline.
From Aristotle to MacIntyre, this introduction to virtue ethics critically explores competing accounts of ‘virtue’ and potential uses and future directions for the discipline.
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- New York : Continuum, Ă2012.
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