What is this thing called metaethics / Matthew Chrisman.

Author
Chrisman, Matthew [Browse]
Format
Book
Language
English
Published/​Created
London ; New York : Routledge, 2017.
Description
xxiv, 152 pages ; 26 cm.

Availability

Copies in the Library

Location Call Number Status Location Service Notes
Firestone Library - Stacks BJ37 .C47 2017 Browse related items Request

    Details

    Subject(s)
    Series
    What is this thing called?
    Summary note
    Are moral standards relative? Are there moral facts? What is goodness? If there moral facts are how do we learn about them? These are all questions about metaethics, the branch of ethics that studies ethical properties, statements, attitudes and judgements. To the uninitiated it can appear abstract and far removed from its two more brash cousins, ethical theory and applied ethics, yet it is one of the fastest-growing and most exciting areas of ethics. What is this thing called Metaethics? demystifies this important subject and is ideal for students coming to it for the first time. Beginning with a brief historical overview of metaethics Matthew Chrisman introduces and assesses the following key topics: moral reality: including questions about naturalism and non-naturalism, moral facts, and the distinction between realism and antirealism; moral language: does language represent reality? What mental states are expressed by moral statements? moral psychology: Hume's theory of motivation and the connection between moral judgement and motivation; moral knowledge: including moral disagreement, the distinction between internalist and externalist theories of knowledge, and theories of objectivity and relativism in metaethics; nonnaturalism; expressivism; error-theory; naturalism; contemporary theories and arguments in metaethics, including Derek Parfit, Simon Blackburn, John McDowell, Christine Korsgaard and Alan Gibbard; new directions in metaethics, such as 'metaepistemology' and 'metanormative theory'.
    Bibliographic references
    Includes bibliographical references and index.
    Contents
    • Machine generated contents note: 1.Four key issues
    • Questions About Ethics and Metaphysics
    • Questions About Ethics and Epistemology
    • Questions About Ethics and Philosophy of Language
    • Questions About Ethics and Philosophy of Mind
    • Conclusion
    • Chapter Summary
    • Study Questions
    • Further Resources
    • Answers to Questions of Understanding
    • Works Cited
    • Notes
    • 2.Nonnaturalism
    • A More Precise Characterization
    • The Case for Nonnaturalism
    • Arguments Against Nonnaturalism
    • Note
    • 3.Expressivism
    • Arguments In Favor of Expressivism
    • Versions and Objections
    • 4.Error theory & fictionalism
    • Mackie's Arguments for Error Theory
    • Objections and Replies
    • Versions of Fictionalism
    • Note continued: Chapter Summary
    • 5.Naturalism
    • Neo-Aristotelian Naturalism
    • Relativism As A Form of Naturalism
    • A Posteriori Naturalism
    • A Priori Network Naturalism
    • 6.Summary & chart
    • The Four Main Areas
    • Costs and Benefits
    • 7.Theories that are hard to classify in traditional terms
    • Beliefs Or Desires
    • Why Not A Bit of Both?
    • Ethical Facts
    • Why Do They Have to Be "Out There"?
    • Pragmatism
    • 8.Outstanding issues
    • From Metaethics to Metanormative Theory
    • Note continued: From Metaethics to Metaepistemology
    • Works Cited.
    ISBN
    • 9781138827608 ((hardback))
    • 1138827606 ((hardback))
    • 9781138827622 ((pbk.))
    • 1138827622 ((pbk.))
    LCCN
    2016021160
    OCLC
    949987523
    Statement on language in description
    Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...
    Other views
    Staff view

    Supplementary Information