The Sources of Normativity / Edition 1

by Christine M. Korsgaard, Onora O'Neill

Overview

Ethical concepts are, or purport to be, normative. They make claims on us: they command, oblige, recommend, or guide. But where does their authority over us come from? Christine Korsgaard identifies and examines four accounts of the source of normativity that have been advocated by modern moral philosophers—voluntarism, realism, reflective endorsement, and the appeal to autonomy—and shows how Kant's autonomy-based account emerges as a synthesis of the other three. Her discussion is followed by commentary from G.A. Cohen, Raymond Geuss, Thomas Nagel, and Bernard Williams, and a reply by Korsgaard.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521559607
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/28/1996
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	290
Sales rank:	759,870
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.39(h) x 0.79(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction Onora O'Neill; Prologue: excellence and obligation: a very concise history of western metaphysics 387 BC to 1887 AD Christine Korsgaard; 1. The normative question Christine Korsgaard; 2. Reflective endorsement Christine Korsgaard; 3. The authority of reflection Christine Korsgaard; 4. The origin of value and the scope of obligation Christine Korsgaard; 5. Reason, humanity, and the moral law G. A. Cohen; 6. Morality and identity Raymond Geuss; 7. Universality and the reflective self Thomas Nagel; 8. History, morality and the test of reflection Bernard Williams; 9. Reply Christine Korsgaard; Bibliography; Index.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"The book is well worth reading..." International Studies in Philosophy

"This book is destined to replace Kant as the ultimate formulation of Kantian ethics. It should be required reading for any philosopher and should be in every library." W.F. Desmond, Choice

"This is a book anyone working in ethics should have on the desk. It is provocative and makes original and major contributions to a defense of a Kantian ethic. The historical developments of the various strands of thought are traced out in clear and helpful style. Korsgaard's writing is itself engaging and clear and her arguments forceful and for the most part compelling. This book constitutes a major advance in ethical theory." L. W. Colter, Review of Metaphysics

Editorial Reviews

"The book is well worth reading..." International Studies in Philosophy

"This book is destined to replace Kant as the ultimate formulation of Kantian ethics. It should be required reading for any philosopher and should be in every library." W.F. Desmond, Choice

"This is a book anyone working in ethics should have on the desk. It is provocative and makes original and major contributions to a defense of a Kantian ethic. The historical developments of the various strands of thought are traced out in clear and helpful style. Korsgaard's writing is itself engaging and clear and her arguments forceful and for the most part compelling. This book constitutes a major advance in ethical theory." L. W. Colter, Review of Metaphysics

From the Publisher