Ethics Through History: An Introduction

Terence Irwin presents an extended historical and philosophical discussion of the major questions and key philosophers in the history of ethics, from Socrates onwards, in Ethics Through History. He covers notable ancient, medieval, and modern moral philosophers whose engaging arguments have formed the agenda for contemporary ethical theory. What is the human good? What are the primary virtues that make a good person? What makes an action right? Must we try to maximize good consequences? How can we know what is right and good? Can morality be rationally justified? Irwin makes the debates surrounding such fundamental questions intelligible, examining the philosophies of key moral thinkers in sufficient detail to convey the strengths and weaknesses of their individual positions.