Moral Philosophy

About this book

In this new and enlarged edition of a standard introduction to moral philosophy Raphael shows in clear and simple language the connections between abstract ethics and practical problems in law government medicine and the social sciences in general. Moral Philosophy deals with six main areas. First it looks at the two opposed traditions of naturalism and rationalism and considers more recent discussion in terms of logic and language. Next it explores the attractions and defects of Utilitarianism and then turns to its main rival Kantian ethics which Raphael favors in a modified form. The third section shows how different moral views are related to different theories about justice and liberty. The fourth examines the problem of free will and determinism in the context of the presuppositions of science especially in the social sciences. This second edition enlarges the relation of moral philosophy to other concerns with two new one on ethics and evolution the other on medical ethics.