Contemporary Debates in Moral Theory

Contemporary Debates in Moral Theory features pairs of newly commissioned essays by some of the leading theorists working in the field today.

• Brings together fresh debates on the most controversial issues in moral theory
• Questions include: Are moral requirements derived from reason? How demanding is morality? Are virtues the proper starting point for moral theorizing?
• Lively debate format sharply defines the issues, and paves the way for further discussion.
• Will serve as an accessible introduction to the major topics in contemporary moral theory, while also capturing the imagination of professional philosophers.

Notes on Contributors vii

Introduction x
James Dreier

Part I Normative Theory 1

Is the Rightness of Action Determined by the Value of Consequences? 3

1 The Consequentialist Perspective 5
William Shaw

2 Against Maximizing Act Consequentialism 21
Peter Vallentyne

3 Reasons Without Demands: Rethinking Rightness 38
Alastair Norcross

Can Contract Theory Ground Morality? 55

4 Moral Contractarianism as a Foundation for Interpersonal Morality 57
Samuel Freeman

5 Can Contract Theory Ground Morality? 77
Philip Pettit

Are the Virtues the Proper Starting Point for Ethical Theory? 97

6 Are Virtues the Proper Starting Point for Morality? 99
Rosalind Hursthouse

7 Virtue Theory Julia Driver 113

Part II Reason And Motivation 125

Are Moral Requirements Derived from Reason? 127

8 Reason, Sentiment, and Categorical Imperatives 129
Samuel J. Kerstein

9 Must We Weep for Sentimentalism? 144
Simon Blackburn

Is Motivation Internal to Moral Judgment? 161

10 How Do Moral Judgments Motivate? 163
Sigrún Svavarsdóttir

11 Moral Motivation 182
R. Jay Wallace

Part III Moral Facts And Explanations 197

Is Morality Fully Factual? 199

12 Moral Factualism 201
Peter Railton

13 Morality Without Moral Facts 220
Terry Horgan and Mark Timmons

Do Moral Facts and Properties Explain Anything? 239

14 Moral Explanations Defended 241
Nicholas L. Sturgeon

15 Moral Epistemology and the Because Constraint 263
Nick Zangwill

Are There General Moral Principles? 283

16 Ethical Generality and Moral Judgment 285
Robert Audi

17 Defending Moral Particularism 305
Mark Norris Lance and Margaret Olivia Little

Index of Subjects 323

Index of Names 330

"...Dreier and his contributors are to be warmly commended for a high-quality volume which will be useful both to students and to those hoping to find fresh perspectives on some of the leading controversies in contemporary ethics and meta-ethics." Sarah Stroud, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

"Dreier has selected a terrific line-up of first-rate philosophers, and has added to their lucid and enjoyable pieces an excellent introduction of his own. The contributors not only summarize the current scholarly state of play, but often advance the discussion in novel and exciting ways." Russ Shafer-Landau, University of Wisconsin

"Dreier's collection shows excellent judgment both in his choice of topics and authors. These essays clearly illustrate the fundamental issues in some vital debates in ethics, while displaying where important disputes remain." Daniel Jacobson, Bowling Green State University

James Dreier is Professor of Philosophy at Brown University. He works mainly in meta-ethics, and has published articles on relativism, expressivism, moral realism, practical rationality, decision theory, and the structure of normative theories. Contemporary Debates in Moral Theory is a collection of new essays addressing central questions in contemporary ethics and moral philosophy. Questions include:

• Are moral requirements derived from reason?
• How demanding is morality?
• Are virtues the proper starting point for moral theorizing?

Eight central questions shape the volume, with each question sparking a pair of opposing essays, summarizing the most important and forceful grounds of each position. Together, the essays provide an accessible introduction to the major topics in contemporary moral theory.