Kirjahaku

In this new and enlarged edition of a standard introduction to moral philosophy, Professor Raphael shows in clear and simple language the connections between abstract ethics and practical problems in law, government, medicine, and the social sciences in general.

D. D. Raphael provides a critical account of the moral philosophy of Adam Smith, presented in his first book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Whilst it does not have the same prominence in its field as his work on economics, The Wealth of Nations, Smith's writing on ethics is of continuing importance and interest today, especially for its theory of conscience. Smith sees the origin of conscience in the sympathetic and antipathetic feelings of spectators. As spectators of the actions of other people, we can imagine how we would feel in their situation. If we would share their motives, we approve of their action. If not, we disapprove. When we ourselves take an action, we know from experience what spectators would feel, approval or disapproval. That knowledge forms conscience, an imagined impartial spectator who tells us whether an action is right or wrong. In describing the content of moral judgement, Smith is much influenced by Stoic ethics, with an emphasis on self-command, but he voices criticism as well as praise. His own position is a combination of Stoic and Christian values. There is a substantial difference between the first five editions of the Moral Sentiments and the sixth. Failure to take account of this has led some commentators to mistaken views about the supposed youthful idealism of the Moral Sentiments as contrasted with the mature realism of The Wealth of Nations. A further source of error has been the supposition that Smith treats sympathy as the motive of moral action, as contrasted with the supposedly universal motive of self-interest in The Wealth of Nations.

In Concepts of Justice D. D. Raphael gives a philosophical survey of the development of the idea of justice. While the framework is historical, the aim is philosophical analysis and criticism. Part I begins with 'Ancient Roots': justice in the Bible, in Aeschylus' Oresteia, in the philosophers Plato and Aristotle, and among jurists and theologians in the Middle Ages. Part II, 'Modern Shoots', deals with philosophers from Hobbes to Rawls, and others of the modern age. Some of the writings considered will be unfamiliar to many readers, who will find that eminence as a political theorist is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition of significant thought about justice. Part III, 'Historical Fruits', draws some conclusions from the whole survey, pinning down the notion of fairness, and asking why this notion embraces apparently disparate ideas, notably 'merit' and 'need'. The developing role of justice and the emergence of novel features during the last three centuries is also discussed. Raphael does not assume that the theories of philosophers must reflect the thought and usage of people generally: some do while others are idiosyncratic, and a number of philosophers neglect the usage of the concept in the context of law. While this book is not a comprehensive history, it is comprehensive in its scope.

In Concepts of Justice D. D. Raphael gives a philosophical survey of the development of the idea of justice. While the framework is historical, the aim is philosophical analysis and criticism. Part I begins with 'Ancient Roots': justice in the Bible, in Aeschylus' Oresteia, in the philosophers Plato and Aristotle, and among jurists and theologians in the Middle Ages. Part II, 'Modern Shoots', deals with philosophers from Hobbes to Rawls, and others of the modern age. Some of the writings considered will be unfamiliar to many readers, who will find that eminence as a political theorist is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition of significant thought about justice. Part III, 'Historical Fruits', draws some conclusions from the whole survey, pinning down the notion of fairness, and asking why this notion embraces apparently disparate ideas, notably 'merit' and 'need'. The developing role of justice and the emergence of novel features during the last three centuries is also discussed. Raphael does not assume that the theories of philosophers must reflect the thought and usage of people generally: some do while others are idiosyncratic, and a number of philosophers neglect the usage of the concept in the context of law. While this book is not a comprehensive history, it is comprehensive in its scope.

D. D. Raphael provides a critical account of the moral philosophy of Adam Smith, presented in his first book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Whilst it does not have the same prominence in its field as his work on economics, The Wealth of Nations, Smith's writing on ethics is of continuing importance and interest today, especially for its theory of conscience. Smith sees the origin of conscience in the sympathetic and antipathetic feelings of spectators. As spectators of the actions of other people, we can imagine how we would feel in their situation. If we would share their motives, we approve of their action. If not, we disapprove. When we ourselves take an action, we know from experience what spectators would feel, approval or disapproval. That knowledge forms conscience, an imagined impartial spectator who tells us whether an action is right or wrong. In describing the content of moral judgement, Smith is much influenced by Stoic ethics, with an emphasis on self-command, but he voices criticism as well as praise. His own position is a combination of Stoic and Christian values. There is a substantial difference between the first five editions of the Moral Sentiments and the sixth. Failure to take account of this has led some commentators to mistaken views about the supposed youthful idealism of the Moral Sentiments as contrasted with the mature realism of The Wealth of Nations. A further source of error has been the supposition that Smith treats sympathy as the motive of moral action, as contrasted with the supposedly universal motive of self-interest in The Wealth of Nations.

This book introduces the student to active philosophical thinking about political ideas, offering a more stimulating approach to the subject than traditional chronological surveys. The first edition was hailed by The Times Literary Supplement as 'the best introduction to political philosophy for a long time'. This thoroughly revised second edition brings its coverage up-to-date for the 1990s, with material reorganised to be fully accessible for the beginner.