Ethics: The Fundamentals

Is there such a thing as right and wrong? If so, what makes one action right and another wrong? Are there moral laws that apply universally, or are certain actions right in one place but not another? Ethics: The Fundamentals explores these and many other related questions by introducing students to different philosophical approaches to ethics, including moral relativism, virtue ethics, Kantian ethics, divine command theory, and feminist ethics. Lively everyday examples and thoughtful discussion of key moral philosophers and their ideas make this first volume of Blackwell’s Fundamentals of Philosophy series an important resource for readers coming to the subject for the first time.

Acknowledgments. Introduction. 1. The Challenge to Moral Universalism. 2. God and Human Nature. 3. Classical Utilitarianism. 4. Contemporary Consequentialism. 5. Kantian Ethics. 6. Social Contract Theory. 7. Intuitionism. 8. Virtue Ethics. 9. Feminist Ethics. 10. Moral Nihilism. Index

Julia Driver is Professor of Philosophy at Dartmouth College. She is author of Uneasy Virtue (2001) as well as numerous articles in journals, including The Journal of Philosophy , The Philosophical Quarterly , and Noûs.

“Julia Driver’s admirably clear and concise account of the fundamentals of ethics will serve as an excellent text for introductory courses and beyond, as well as being a good place for the interested lay person to start. She discusses the major questions thoroughly and insightfully, with reference to historical and contemporary works, and uses vivid and entertaining examples.” Elinor Mason, University of Edinburgh “An outstanding and highly useful contribution. Driver’s introduction to ethics is more responsive to the contemporary philosophical scene than any other that I know of.” Michael Slote, University of Miami “Driver’s introductory textbook discusses the theories that should be discussed, and does so in an engaging and fair–minded way. The book is not only clear enough for students confronting moral philosophy for the first time but also penetrating enough for more advanced students.” Brad Hooker, University of Reading