Philosophical Ethics
Moral philosophy is standardly divided into metaethics and
normative ethics.
Normative ethics concerns itself with the substantive ethical questions
we
all face, such as "What has value?" and "What are our moral
obligations?" Metaethics, on the other hand, asks philosophical
questions about ethics, rather than ethical questions per se. "What is
value?" rather than "What has value?" And "What can make it the case
that we ought to do something?" rather than "What ought we to do?"
I use the term 'philosophical ethics' to refer to the project of
integrating metaethics and normative ethics in a systematic way, trying
to gain insight into what is valuable and obligatory (normatively) by
understanding what value and obligation are (metaethically). As I read
them, the great systematic ethical philosophies, such as those of
Aristotle, Kant, and Mill, can all be read as examples of philosophical
ethics.
Course Materials for Philosophy 361
You can find all course materials for Philosophy 361 here.
Major Texts for Philosophy 361
Aristotle, Nicomachean
Ethics
Also, check out the Perseus
Project,
an unbelievable treasure trove of ancient Greek texts, etc.
Jeremy Bentham, Principles
of Morals and Legislation
Immanuel Kant, Groundwork
of the Metaphysics of Morals
John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism,
On
Liberty, Autobiography,
and The
Subjection of Women.
Friedrich
Nietzsche, On the
Genealogy of Morals
Return to Stephen
Darwall's Home Page.
Last revised on September 3, 2007