Moral Philosophy: Recommendations?

[vkut79]

I've decided I want to study a bit of some moral philosophy. Are there any moral philosophies/philosophers/texts that you found insightful and would recommend to read?

[Lights]

David Hume.

[vkut79]

Thanks, any work in particular? Also what did you appreciate about that aspect of his philosophy?

[Lights]

Thanks, any work in particular?

An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.)


Also what did you appreciate about that aspect of his philosophy?

His sentiment-based ethical theory resonates with me, probably because I am an INFJ.

"Reason is, and ought only to be, the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them."

"Reason cannot, of itself, move the will."

He is an empiricist who believes not only in self interest, but also altruistic concern. He accepted both reason and sentimentalism as aspects of human reality.

[vkut79]

Ehh, Hume's moral philosophy seems so similar to my own. I think I want to find something different.

-Not based on your description, I just skimmed through an outline of his Enquiry.

-According to Kant, reason ought to play the big role in one's moral philosophy. Big difference from Hume. Kant is sooooo rational. (perhaps he was an INTJ? or INTP...) Anyways, I definitely agree more with Hume.

[Lights]

Well since you ascribe to the whole "transcendental idealism" thing, maybe you could go the philosophical realism route and read Thomas Hobbes, Henry Babcock Veatch, and Ayn Rand.

[vkut79]

Well I don't know if I would say that I "ascribe" to it, but I definitely find it interesting to think about. Hobbes seems like an interesting thinker from what I know of him. Not sure Ayn Rand is the right place to go...;D

[thod]

There is nothing that nietzsche couldn't teach ya.

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[ssfanatic]

How about the new testament?

[Lucid]

Kant. Jane Addams. For a brief overview to get you started (if you haven't already) try the Wiki (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.) on ethics. It may include other philosophers to read as well.

[mabts]

A little known but I think great book concerning morality is On the Basis of Morality by Arthur Schopenhauer. Having knowledge of his metaphysical and epistemological views helps, but it isn't necessary.

In terms of more recent contemporary moral philosophy, Peter Unger's "Living High and Letting Die" is often discussed in philosophy classes/departments. I don't agree with most of it, but it is definitely an interesting read.

[blueback]

I suggest Ayn Rand. She presents a compelling argument for how morality is derived from rational observation.

This is a good short intro to objectivism
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I suggest reading this as it applies specifically to what you are looking for
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[Nomad]

How about, "Try not to hurt anyone, don't let yourself or loved ones be hurt, unless you have to." ?

It's worked quite well to me.

-Nomad

[muguly]

Anything from Plato

[Jack]

Why do you need to get an understanding of moral from other peoples opinions on what's right and wrong?

eg: Murder is wrong, but not in the act of patriotism/communism/capitalism...Which is a really dumb concept!

I say follow your heart, and make your mind hear whats real.

[Vortex]

Nietzsche, Rand, Locke, Hobes, Rousseau, Mills, Aristotle/Plato, Marx...

ed: Forgot Kant! Can't forget Kant ^^;;.

[E148]

You Kant forget Kant? :)
Neither Kan I?

Kant may have been INTP but an NT for sure.

[Lucid]

You Kant forget Kant? :)
Neither Kan I?

Kant may have been INTP but an NT for sure.

I love Kant. Imperfect though it may be, his categorical imperative (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.) has greatly influenced my own code of ethics. Either that or my own code of ethics is why I like his categorical imperative.

Here's an example of why:

According to his reasoning, we first have a perfect duty not to act by maxims that result in logical contradictions when we attempt to universalize them. The moral proposition A: "It is permissible to steal" would result in a contradiction in conceivability. The notion of stealing presupposes the existence of property, but were A universalized, then there could be no property, and so the proposition has logically annihilated itself.

And another awesome example:

The free will is the source of all rational action. But to treat it as a subjective end is to deny the possibility of freedom in general. Because the autonomous will is the one and only source of moral action, it would contradict the first formulation to claim that a person is merely a means to some other end, rather than always an end in his or her self.

Therefore,

Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means.

Kant, it seems to me, is an excellent example of ethics based out of reason and logic, rather than emotionalism. It seems like many people dismiss acting in an ethical manner as irrational or as if logic has nothing to do with it. To me, acting in anything but a rationally ethical manner is self-indulgent irrationality.

Kant's proposition had flaws, but most do. And quite a lot of useful stuff can be taken away from it.

[blueback]

Every "is" implies an "ought."

[Poliorcetes]

Ho-hum...

The main schools are consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics.

For consequentialism, the classic text is Mill: Utilitarianism
The essential companion to Mill is Roger Crisp: Mill On Utilitarianism
Hume: An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals is also a must-read, with his account of moral psychology helping to contextualise Mill.

For deontology, the classic text is Kant: Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
Christine Korsgaard and Bernard Williams are among the better modern interpreters of Kant.

For virtue ethics, the classic text is Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics
However, while modern virtue ethics is inspired by Aristotle, it is not a direct development of his thought. Among the most important of the many modern exponents of virtue ethics are Philippa Foot (esp. in her Virtues and Vices) and Rosalind Hursthouse.

On free will (the importance of which for ethics should be obvious), the best starting point is Free Will, edited by Gary Watson.

Other modern works that are well worth a read include:
John Rawls: A Theory of Justice
John Mackie: Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong
Thomas Nagel: The Possibility of Altruism

That should get you started. If you want any more recommendations on any single topic, or on a particular area of applied ethics (e.g. abortion, animal rights, etc.), feel free to ask.

[Colette]

Assuming your interest lies primarily in Western Philosophy, I'd recommend that if you're new to the area of ethics and moral philosophy, you follow a chronological kind of reading path (since in this area, thinking has developed incrementally, and by reference to critiquing the work of previous thinkers). A suggested list of 'must reads':

Nicomachean Ethics - Aristotle

Anything on ethics by Hobbes, Spinoza and Hume (but maybe Elementa Philosophica Hobbes)

Bentham, for an exposition of 'utilitarianism'

Kant, for the 'categorical imperative'

Kierkegaard - Either/or (ethical phases of existence)

JP Sartre and Neitszche - 'Bad faith' ethical doctrine, and genealogy of ethical consciousness (respectively)

GE Moore - Principia Ethica