Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy [Paperback]

John Rawls (Author), Barbara Herman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0674004426 | ISBN-13: 978-0674004429 | Publication Date: November 15, 2000

The premier political philosopher of his day, John Rawls, in three decades of teaching at Harvard, has had a profound influence on the way philosophical ethics is approached and understood today. This book brings together the lectures that inspired a generation of students--and a regeneration of moral philosophy. It invites readers to learn from the most noted exemplars of modern moral philosophy with the inspired guidance of one of contemporary philosophy's most noteworthy practitioners and teachers.

Central to Rawls's approach is the idea that respectful attention to the great texts of our tradition can lead to a fruitful exchange of ideas across the centuries. In this spirit, his book engages thinkers such as Leibniz, Hume, Kant, and Hegel as they struggle in brilliant and instructive ways to define the role of a moral conception in human life. The lectures delineate four basic types of moral reasoning: perfectionism, utilitarianism, intuitionism, and--the ultimate focus of Rawls's course--Kantian constructivism. Comprising a superb course on the history of moral philosophy, they also afford unique insight into how John Rawls has transformed our view of this history.

(20001015)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Rawls\\rquote philosophical approach has had an impact, not simply through his classic works like \}\{\A Theory of Justice\}\{ (1971) but also through the generations of Harvard students who wrestled with classic works of philosophy with his assistance from 1962 to 1991. This volume draws together the final version of Rawls\\rquote lecture notes on the history of modern moral philosophy; it offers probing discussions of Hume, Leibniz, Kant, and Hegel and of the four basic types of moral reasoning--perfectionism, utilitarianism, intuitionism, and Kantian constructivism. Readers could hardly find a more enlightening (if sometimes challenging) companion in exploring key historical approaches to life\\rquote s most fundamental moral and philosophical questions.\plain\f0\fs17 Mary Carroll
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Rawls is, of course, one of the major moral and political philosophers of the 20th-century. These essays center on Kant's moral philosophy as influenced by Hume's and Leibniz's and as it influenced Hegel. Throughout, Rawls tries to understand the distinctive questions each philosopher posed to himself and the specific answers he gave...Rawls's deep, tightly argued, and lucidly presented analyses warrant close attention by students on the subject.
--Robert Hoffman (Library Journal 20010205)

Rawls's 'Kant Lectures' have enjoyed a cult status so great that it has propelled dog-eared copies of his notes across campuses and generations. After being guided by Rawls's able hand through the rigors of such texts as Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and Hume's Treatise on Human Nature, readers will appreciate how Rawls's generosity, both to students and subject, earned these Harvard lectures a place in legend. (Kirkus Reviews 20080401)

This volume draws together the final version of Rawls' lecture notes on the history of modern moral philosophy. It offers probing discussions of Hume, Leibniz, Kant, and Hegel and of the four basic types of moral reasoning--perfectionism, utilitarianism, intuitionism, and Kantian constructivism. Readers could hardly find a more enlightening (if sometimes challenging) companion in exploring key historical approaches to life's most fundamental moral and philosophical questions.
--Mary Carroll (Booklist )

What names would we want to place next to Wittgenstein and Heidegger? No thinker, I believe, has a greater right to stand alongside them than John Rawls. Rawls's A Theory of Justice, which appeared in 1971, changed forever the landscape of moral and political philosophy. Like Wittgenstein and Heidegger, Rawls has shown a remarkable capacity for self-criticism. Like them, he has gone on to revise in significant ways the doctrines that first established his fame...The publication of the Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy is thus a major event, since here we find the conception of modern ethics as a whole, the understanding of its characteristic themes and problems, that has inspired Rawls's political thought.
--Charles Larmore (New Republic )

Rawls has an enormously authoritative and interesting way of thinking and writing about the history of philosophy. His approach and tone is that of a world-class athlete watching old films to analyze the technique of his great predecessors. It is a pleasure to listen in.
--Matthew Simpson (Journal of the History of Philosophy )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press (November 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674004426
• ISBN-13: 978-0674004429
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #423,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Rawls was James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University. He was recipient of the 1999 National Humanities Medal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a fascinating collection of lectures, February 1, 2002

By 

pjmittal (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy (Paperback)

One can see why John Rawls rejuvenated interest in moral philosophy -- this book is not only a beautifully written, but also a well organized collection of lectures on moral philosophy. Yes, all the big names are here -- Kant, Hegel, Leibnitz & Hume -- entire sections devoted to each. Utilitarianism, constructivism, intuitionism and perfectionism are all studied carefully as the various moral philosophies produced by these thinkers.

A warning, though: don't leap into this book as a "Moral Philosophy for Dummies" kind of guide. Although you don't have to be a guru, you need to have already read a bit on the subject in order to savour the delights of this book. I myself am taking my first (very wobbly) steps into a field which attempts, as the cover of the book says, to "define the role of a moral conception in human life."

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Guide to the "Modern Classical Period" of Moral Philosophy, November 6, 2010

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cvairag (Allan Hancock College) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy (Paperback)

The book is derived from the undergraduate lecture courses Rawls gave at Harvard from the late sixties until the end of his career. Very few in our society have more insight into this complex and challenging period. The book begins with an exigesis of Hume's moral philosophy - its sources and its meaning. The bulk of the book is then, as one would expect, devoted to Kant. The book closes with a study of Hegel. Along the way, all the major schools of moral thought in Europe, especially England, during the era are discussed.
Although I cannot agree with the previous reviewer that Rawls writes`"beautifully" (in fact, I would respectfully suggest that Rawls' literary shortcomings significantly limited the readership of A Theory of Justice, though I would not know how else it could have been written), he thinks magnificently. Rawls was, above all, a profound student of those he calls "the exemplars" of moral theory, and specifically of this period, which is perhaps why he is simply the BEST teacher of this material. His insights into Hume, Leibniz, Kant, and Hegel will forever change your way of reading these giants. Rawls displays bona-fide, hard-earned insight.
Because Rawls thinks and writes in a way the encompasses a plurality of levels of explanation and speculation, the study is as enriching for the professional as for the student with modicum of basic knowledge. If you read one book on this subject, read this one. Also, Rawls is very good about documenting his sources, which really helps if you desire to go further.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book, March 15, 2010

By 

Arlene Simone "Ariel: Philosopher" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy (Paperback)

The book is excellent if one wants to learn more about moral philosophy and its history. It arrived in good time and in excellent condition.