Essays on Philosophical Method

Essays on Philosophical Method by R. M. Hare gathers together seminal essays from one of the twentieth century’s leading moral philosophers. Best known for his influential defense of prescriptivism, Hare here turns his attention to the methods of philosophy itself, examining how ethical theory can and should be pursued. The collection includes explorations of topics ranging from Plato’s theory of Ideas to the relevance of philosophy for practical life, combining close textual scholarship with sustained reflection on the discipline’s aims and boundaries. In addressing both classical figures such as Aristotle and Plato and contemporary interlocutors in analytic ethics, Hare demonstrates how methodological clarity is indispensable for progress in moral philosophy.

At once historical and programmatic, this volume situates Hare’s prescriptivism against competing traditions, particularly intuitionism and descriptivism, while also defending the broader analytic project of conceptual clarification. Several essays challenge the assumption that philosophy is divorced from practical concerns, arguing instead that rigor in analysis yields tangible benefits for moral deliberation. Published as part of the New Studies in Practical Philosophy series, Essays on Philosophical Method illuminates the intellectual scaffolding behind Hare’s major works, The Language of Morals and Freedom and Reason, while offering fresh contributions on its own terms. It is essential reading for scholars of ethics, philosophy of language, and anyone interested in how philosophical practice itself can shape moral understanding.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1972.