A short history of ethics : a history of moral philosophy from the Homeric Age to the twentieth century

A Short History of Ethics has over the past thirty years become a key philosophical contribution to studies on morality and ethics. Alasdair MacIntyre writes a new preface for this second edition which looks at the book 'thirty years on' and considers its impact. A Short History of Ethics guides the reader through the history of moral philosophy from the Greeks to contemporary times. MacIntyre emphasises the importance of a historical context to moral concepts and ideas showing the relevance of philosophical queries on moral concepts and the importance of a historical account of ethics. A Short History of Ethics is an important contribution written by one of the most important living philosophers. Ideal for all philosophy students interested in ethics and morality. In this classic work, Alasdair MacIntyre guides the reader through the history of moral philosophy from the Greeks to contemporary times. He emphasizes the importance of a historical context to moral concepts and ideas. MacIntyre illustrates the relevance of philosophical queries on moral concepts enabling the reader to understand the importance of a historical account of ethics. Contents Preface to the second edition Preface 1. The Philosophical Point of the the History of Ethics 2. The Prephilosophical History of of "Good" and the Transition to Philosophy 3. The Sophists and Socrates 4. Plato: The Gorgias 5. Plato: The Republic 6. Postscript to Plato 7. Aristotle's Ethics 8. Postscript to Greek Ethics 9. Christianity 10. Luther, Machiavelli, Hobbes and Spinoza 11. New Values 12. The British Eighteenth-Century Argument 13. The French Eighteenth-Century Argument 14. Kant 15. Hegel and Marx 16. Kierkegaard to Nietzsche 17. Reformers, Utopians, Idealists 18. Modern Moral Philosophy BOOK COVER......Page 1 HALF-TITLE......Page 2 TITLE......Page 3 COPYRIGHT......Page 4 CONTENTS......Page 5 PREFACE......Page 6 PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION......Page 14 1 THE PHILOSOPHICAL POINT OF THE HISTORY OF ETHICS......Page 16 2 THE PREPHILOSOPHICAL HISTORY OF “GOOD” AND THE TRANSITION TO PHILOSOPHY......Page 19 3 THE SOPHISTS AND SOCRATES......Page 25 4 PLATO: THE GORGIAS......Page 33 5 PLATO: THE REPUBLIC......Page 38 6 POSTSCRIPT TO PLATO......Page 49 7 ARISTOTLE’S ETHICS......Page 53 8 POSTSCRIPT TO GREEK ETHICS......Page 70 9 CHRISTIANITY......Page 86 10 LUTHER, MACHIAVELLI, HOBBES, AND SPINOZA......Page 93 11 NEW VALUES......Page 109 12 THE BRITISH EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ARGUMENT......Page 116 13 THE FRENCH EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ARGUMENT......Page 129 14 KANT......Page 137 15 HEGEL AND MARX......Page 143 16 KIERKEGAARD TO NIETZSCHE......Page 153 17 REFORMERS, UTILITARIANS, IDEALISTS......Page 160 18 MODERN MORAL PHILOSOPHY......Page 174 NOTES......Page 187 INDEX......Page 189 "In this classic work, Alasdair MacIntyre guides the reader through the history of moral philosophy from the Greeks to contemporary times. He emphasizes the importance of a historical context to moral concepts and ideas. MacIntyre illustrates the relevance of philosophical queries on moral concepts enabling the reader to understand the importance of a historical account of ethics."--Jacket Alasdair Macintyre. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 271-272) And Index.