Value Judgement Improving Our Ethical Beliefs

In this elegantly written book James Griffin offers a fresh examination of the fundamental questions of ethics. At the heart of the book lies the question of how we can improve our ethical judgements and beliefs. In addressing this central dilemma, Griffin discusses such key issues of moral philosophy as defining a good life, locating the boundaries of the natural world, how values relate to the world, judging the limits human capacity, and where moral norms originate. Beyond these considerations, he gives a critical assessment of the aims of such prominent philosophical traditions as utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Value Judgement gives a clear and compelling depiction of moral philosophy which will interest readers of all levels.

James Griffin asks how, and how much, we can improve our ethical standards not lift our behaviour closer to our standards but refine the standards themselves. To give an answer to this question it is necessary to answer most of the questions of ethics. So Value Judgement includes discussion of what a good life is like, where the boundaries of the `natural world' come, how values relate to that world, how great human capacitiesthe ones important to ethicsare, and where moral norms come from. Throughout the book the question of what philosophy can contribute to ethics repeatedly arises. Philosophical traditions, such as most forms of utilitarianism and deontology and virtue ethics, are, Griffin contends, too ambitious. Ethics cannot be what philosophers in those traditions expect it to be because agents cannot be what their philosophies need them to be. This clear, compelling, and original account of ethics will be of interest to anyone concerned with thinking about values: not only philosophers but legal, political, and economic theorists as well. L

1 - Improving Our Ethical Beliefs
2 - The Good Life
3 - The Boundaries of the Natural World
4 - Value and Nature
5 - A Simple Moral Thought
6 - Agents
7 - Some Complex Moral Ideas
8 - How Can We Improve Our Ethical Beliefs?

James Griffin is White's Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford.