Well there are many suggestions already there and many books available about ethics, but what I want is not just a overly simplified book for a complete beginner. I have spent some time studying philosophy so I'm not a beginner, yet I need a detailed overview of the history of ethics because what i've read so far about ethics is somehow scattered. I have spent some time reading or thinking about hedonism, utilitarianism, and plato's explanation of virtues and happiness, but other than these i have barely engaged with other ethical theories and thoughts. So I need a book that gives a good, detailed and engageing overview of the most important ethical traditions and thoughts. And it would be great if it also suggest some good sources for further readings in order to engage me with more serious and detailed accounts about ethical traditions and philisophers that I find interesting. Thanks for your help
2 Answers
I can name two books which helped me to orientate myself on the field of ethics:
- William K. Frankena: Ethics. This slim book gives a well-structured overview from the viewpoint of analytical philosophy.
- John L. Mackie Ethics. Inventing Right and Wrong. More detailed. The author presents his own view.
As an introductory book, I can recommend A Short History of Ethics, by Alasdair MacIntyre. As the title suggests, it provides a historical survey of different approaches to ethics and doesn't try to argue for any one particular point of view.
If you want books on particular approaches to moral philosophy, some of the major texts are:
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics. The classic text on virtue ethics.
Benedict Spinoza. Ethics. Definitely a classic. Fine if you like rationalism (not to my taste personally).
David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals. Classic Hume. A combination of skepticism and naturalism.
Immanuel Kant, Critique of Practical Reason, and Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. The principal texts of Kantian deontological ethics.
Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism. Two books, but you can often find them bound together in a single volume. The original texts on utiliarianism.
G E Moore, Principia Ethica. Moore's attempt to approach ethics from an analytical perpspective.
There are lots of more recent writers on ethics and metaethics, including R M Hare, J L Mackie, Philippa Foot, Bernard Williams, Simon Blackburn, Peter Singer, etc.
