Aristotle and Moral Realism (Routledge Studies in Ethics and Moral Theory) [Hardcover]

Robert Heinaman (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1857283392 | ISBN-13: 978-1857283396 | Publication Date: October 17, 2000

This volume of essays brings together scholars of ancient philosophy and some of today's most distinguished moral philosophers to discuss Aristotle's ethics and the problems of moral realism. One of the central and perennial philosophical problems is the question of whether our ethical assertions and beliefs can be justifiably claimed to rest on some objective foundation. As an upholder of the objectivity of ethics and as one of the most important ethical thinkers in the history of philosophy, Aristotle's writings on these questions are of the greatest interest. Indeed, much of recent moral philosophy has looked directly to Aristotle for inspiration on the problem of moral objectivity. For example, "virtue theorists" were influenced by Aristotle in their proposal that what determines the right thing to do in a particular case is what the virtuous man would do. Similarly, "sensibility theorists" have found support for their view in Aristotle's remarks about the importance of the conditioning of one's desires for the development of virtue and knowledge about the human good. One of the central issues addressed by the contributors is whether it is wrong to believe that the justification of a moral claim requires an "external" validation which goes beyond reference to human practices of moral condemnation and approval. Or does moral objectivity require ethical discourse to have an origin and explanatory power similar in important respects to that of an empirical science? The contributors range over many other issues and areas of Aristotle's philosophy, including his account of tragedy and his theory of justice. It will be welcomed by all philosophers and classicists with an interest in moral philosophy and Greek ethics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This daring and resourceful book draws on a deep familiarity with the analytic (McDowell) and phenomenological (Arendt, Gadamer, Heidegger) traditions and their common ancestors (Aristotle, Kant) to defend a novel type of moral realism that owes most to the Nicomachean Ethics, and to a provocative interpretation of the kind of practical or "'phronetic' perception introduced there. It marks the presence of a distinctive new Greek voice on the philosophical scene. Anyone interested in ancient or modern ethics will benefit from engaging with it." –C.D.C. Reeve, Delta Kappa Epsilon Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

"Aristotle's Moral Realism Reconsidered: Phenomenological Ethics is an extremely ambitious work that combines detailed Aristotle and Kant exegesis with philosophical engagement across analytic and continental traditions. ... Kontos' engagement with the diverse range of topics covered in the book is truly admirable, and one cannot help but feel that he is onto something deep and important. In particular, his attempt to counteract the solipsistic slant of many contemporary ethical frameworks is extremely refreshing and insightful. ... [T]he book contains enough food for thought to keep even the most voracious philosophical appetite engaged and stimulated."–Joseph Karbowski, University of Notre Dame, USA, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Pavlos Kontos is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Patras University, Greece. He is the author of L’action morale chez Aristote (Presses Universitaires de France, 2002) and D’une phénoménologie de la perception chez Heidegger (Kluwer, 1996) and co-editor of Kant: Making Reason Intuitive (Palgrave, 2006) and Gadamer et les Grecs (Vrin, 2005).

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (October 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1857283392
• ISBN-13: 978-1857283396
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,727,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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