The Autonomy of Morality

Charles Larmore challenges two ideas of human morality, ideas that have shaped the modern mind.

Charles Larmore (Author)

9780521717823, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 14 July 2008

288 pages
22.1 x 15 x 2 cm, 0.39 kg

"Addressing a range of issues both within and outside ethics and political philosophy, Charles Larmore's The Autonomy of Morality makes a distinctive and importance contribution to contemporary liberal thought."
Social Theory and Practice, James W. Boettcher, Saint Joseph's University

In The Autonomy of Morality Charles Larmore challenges two ideas that have shaped the modern mind. The world, he argues, is not a realm of value-neutral fact, nor does human freedom consist in imposing principles of our own devising on an alien reality. Rather, reason consists in being responsive to reasons for thought and action that arise from the world itself. Larmore shows that the moral good has an authority that speaks for itself. Only in this light does the true basis of a liberal political order come into view, as well as the role of unexpected goods in the makeup of a life lived well.

Part I. Reason and Reasons: 1. History and truth
2. Back to Kant? No way
3. Attending to reasons
Part II. The Moral Point of View: 4. John Rawls and moral philosophy
5. The autonomy of morality
Part III. Political Principles: 6. The moral basis of political liberalism
7. The meanings of political freedom
8. Public reason
Part IV. Truth and Chance: 9. Nietzsche and the will to truth
10. The idea of a life plan.

Subject Areas: Central government [JPQ], Social & political philosophy [HPS], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ]