Ethics Without Principles

Jonathan Dancy

ISBN 10: 0199270023 / ISBN 13: 9780199270026

Published by Oxford University Press, GB, 2004

About this Item

Jonathan Dancy presents a long-awaited exposition and defence of particularism in ethics, a view with which he has been associated for twenty years. He argues that the traditional link between morality and principles, or between being moral and having principles, is little more than a mistake. The possibility of moral thought and judgement does not in any way depend on an adequate supply of principles. Dancy grounds this claim on a form of reasons-holism, holding that what is a reason in one case need not be any reason in another, and maintaining that moral reasons are no different in this respect from others. He puts forward a distinctive form of value-holism to go with the holism of reasons, and he gives a detailed discussion, much needed, of the currently popular topic of 'contributory' reasons. Opposing positions of all sorts are summarized and criticized. Ethics Without Principles is the definitive statement of particularist ethical theory, and will be required reading for all those working on moral philosophy and ethical theory.

Seller Inventory # LU-9780199270026

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Ethics Without Principles
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, GB
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0199270023
• ISBN 13: 9780199270026
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 511 grams

About this title

Synopsis

What is a moral principle, and what do moral principles tell us? What if all suggested principles were defeated by counter-examples? Would moral judgement still be possible? In this book Jonathan Dancy argues that the traditional link between morality and principles, or between being moral and having principles, is little more than a mistake. This claim, known as 'particularism', has recently been attracting a great deal of attention, and Dancy is one of its leading proponents.Ethics Without Principles is the definitive presentation of his position, and will be required reading for all moral philosophers.

About the Author

Jonathan Dancy is in the Department of Philosophy, University of Reading.