ABSTRACT

The Routledge Companion to Ethics is an outstanding survey of the whole field of ethics by a distinguished international team of contributors. Over 60 chapters are divided into six clear sections:

  • the history of ethics
  • meta-ethics
  • perspectives from outside ethics
  • ethical perspectives
  • morality
  • debates in ethics.

The Companion opens with a comprehensive historical overview of ethics, including chapters on Plato, Aristotle, Hume, and Kant, and ethical thinking in China, India and the Arabic tradition. The second part covers the domain of meta-ethics. The third part covers important challenges to ethics from the fields of anthropology, psychology, sociobiology and economics. The fourth and fifth sections cover competing theories of ethics and the nature of morality respectively, with entries on consequentialism, Kantian morality, virtue ethics, relativism, evil, and responsibility amongst many others. A comprehensive final section includes the most important topics and controversies in applied ethics, such as rights, justice and distribution, the end of life, the environment, poverty, war and terrorism.

The Routledge Companion to Ethics is a superb resource for anyone interested in the subject, whether in philosophy or related disciplines such as politics, education, or law. Fully indexed and cross-referenced, with helpful further reading sections at the end of each chapter, it is ideal for those coming to the field of ethics for the first time as well as readers already familiar with the subject.

Preface  Part 1: History  1. Ethical Thought in China Yang Xiao  2. Ethical Thought in India Stephen Clark  3. Plato and Socrates Richard Kraut  4. Aristotle C.C.W. Taylor  5. Later Ancient Ethics A.A. Long  6. The Arabic Tradition Peter Adamson  7. Natural Law Knud Haakonssen  8. Hobbes Bernard Gert  9. Ethics and Reason Mike LeBuffe  10. Ethics and Sentiment Michael Gill  11. Hume James Harris  12. Smith Craig Smith  13. Utilitarianism to Bentham Fred Rosen  14. Kant Thomas Hill  15. Hegel Ken Westphal  16. Mill Henry West  17. Green, Bradley and Sidgwick T.H. Irwin  18. Nietzsche Maudmarie Clark  19. Pragmatist Moral Philosophy Alan Ryan  20. Existentialism Jonathan Webber  21. Heidegger Stephen Mulhall  Part 2: Meta-ethics  22. Ethics, Religion, Science Simon Blackburn  23. Freedom and Responsibility Randolph Clarke  24. Reasons for Action Robert Audi  25. ‘Open Question’ Arguments Thomas Baldwin  26. Realism and its Alternatives Peter Railton  27. Non-cognitivism Alex Miller  28. Error Theory and Fictionalism Nadeem Hussain  29. Cognitivism Without Realism Andrew Fisher  30. Relativism Nick Sturgeon  Part 3: Ideas and Methods from Outside Ethics  31. Social Anthropology James Laidlaw  32. Psychology Jesse Prinz  33. Biology Michael Ruse  34. Formal Methods in Ethics Erik Carlson  35. Ethics and Law John Gardner  Part 4: Perspectives in Ethics  36. Reasons, Values and Morality Simon Robertson  37. Consequentialism Brad Hooker  38. Contemporary Kantian Ethics Andrews Reath  39. Intuitionism Philip Stratton-Lake  40. Virtue Ethics Michael Slote  41. Contractualism Rahul Kumar  42. Contemporary Natural Law Theory Anthony J. Lisska  43. Feminist Ethics Samantha Brennan  44. Ethics and Aesthetics Robert Stecker  Part 5: Morality  45. Morality and its Critics Stephen Darwall  46. Conscience John Skorupski  47. Recognition, Respect Allen Wood  48. Blame, Remorse, Mercy, Forgiveness Christopher Bennett  49. Evil Geoffrey Scarre  50. Responsibility: Intention and Consequence Suzanne Uniacke  51. Responsibility: Act and Omission Michael Zimmerman  52. Partiality and Impartiality John Cottingham  53. Particularism and Principles Michael Ridge and Sean McKeever  Part 6: Debates in Ethics  54. Welfare Christopher Heathwood  55. Ideals of Perfection Vinit Haksar  56. Rights Tom Campbell  57. Justice and Punishment John Tasioulas  58. Justice and Distribution M.G. Clayton  59. Life and Death Fred Feldman  60. Ending Life R.G. Frey  61. Population Tim Mulgan  62. Animals Alan Carter  63. Environment Andrew Brennan  64. The Ethics of Free Speech Mary Kate McGowan  65. The Ethics of Research Julian Savulescu  66. World Poverty Thomas Pogge  67. War Henry Shue  68. Terrorism and Torture David Rodin.  References.  Index