Legal Theory Bookworm I’ve been thinking recently about "introductions" to normative theory–the kind of books you would recommend as a jumping off point for someone who is interested in acquiring a basic skill set in normative legal theory, but has never studied moral or political philosophy. I’m still not sure about my final list, but here are some preliminary thoughts:
- Morality: An Introduction to Ethics by Bernard Williams.
Williams was one of the best and most important moral philosophers of the twentieth century. This is not the book to read for a survey of utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics, but it does offer an introduction to the deep issues of moral philosophy.
- Philosophical Ethics by Stephen Darwall
This book has two parts, the first introduces basic issues in metaethics and the second uses key historical figures (e.g. Kant, Mill, Hobbes, Aristotle) to introduce major positions in normative ethics (deontology, consequentialism, contractualism, virtue ethics). Darwall is a great moral philosopher, and this book reflects his very high standards.
- A Companion to Ethics edited by Peter Singer
This covers a lot of ground. There are essays about the history of ethics, about world ethical traditions, and about contemporary philosophical ethics. The standard is generally very high: for example, the essay on Kant’s ethics is by the amazing Onora O’Neil.
- Normative Ethics by Shelly Kagan
Gerald Dworkin recommends Kagan’s book, which focuses on foundational issues. Chapter titles include "The Good," "Doing Harm," "Teleological Foundations," and "Deontological Foundations."
Next week, I’ll do a similar entry for political philosophy. Also, if anyone has a suggestion for this list (or for the list on political philosophy), I’m all ears (or "all eyes on the screen").