Constructivism in Ethics - Softcover

Bagnoli, Carla

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1107540380 ISBN 13: 9781107540385

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2015

Synopsis

Are there such things as moral truths? How do we know what we should do? And does it matter? Constructivism states that moral truths are neither invented nor discovered, but rather are constructed by rational agents in order to solve practical problems. While constructivism has become the focus of many philosophical debates in normative ethics, meta-ethics and action theory, its importance is still to be fully appreciated. These new essays written by leading scholars define and assess this new approach in ethics, addressing such questions as the nature of constructivism, how constructivism improves our understanding of moral obligations, how it accounts for the development of normative practices, whether moral truths change over time, and many other topics. The volume will be valuable for advanced students and scholars of ethics and all who are interested in questions about the foundation of morality.

About this title

Book Description:

'Constructivism' was a term applied by John Rawls to the theory that a system of moral obligations can be constructed from uncontroversial premises about human nature to yield a moral theory that is demonstrably true. This volume defines this theory's terms, and will interest students in ethics and ethical theory.

About the Author:

Carla Bagnoli is Professor of Theoretical Philosophy in the Department of Linguistic and Cultural Studies, University of Modena. She is editor of Morality and Emotions (2011).

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1107540380
• ISBN 13: 9781107540385
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272