Reason and Morals

Reason and Morals shows that the revolution in philosophy is sufficiently important to merit explanation and acceptance far outside its academic confines.

John Wilson (Author)

9780521094238, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 1 January 1968

196 pages
20.3 x 12.7 x 1.1 cm, 0.22 kg

Originally written and published in 1961, Reason and Morals suggests that although analytical philosophers of the time declined to offer moral guidance, Mr Wilson is concerned that the interested layman should not turn away from them disappointed and argues that much practical knowledge can be derived from a study of their work and an extension of their techniques. Philosophy can help us think and act more reasonably in moral contexts, and the author shows that much of the confusion which besets moral argument arises from a misunderstanding of the nature of morality itself. This book shares with Mr Wilson's Language and the Pursuit of Truth a belief that the revolution in philosophy is sufficiently important to merit explanation and acceptance far outside its academic confines.

Part I. The Value of Moral Philosophy: 1. What moral philosophers do
2. Doubts and possibilities
Part II. The purposes of Moral Language: 3. Two types of moral thinking
4. Men and machines
5. Common concepts in moralism
6. The uses of moralism
Part III. A Method for Morals: 7. Criteria and agreement
8. Rational morality
9. Epilogue
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]