1st Edition

Reasons, Patterns, and Cooperation

By Christopher Woodard Copyright 2008
168 Pages 8 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

168 Pages 8 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

168 Pages 8 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This book is about fundamental questions in normative ethics. It begins with the idea that we often respond to ethical theories according to how principled or pragmatic they are. It clarifies this contrast and then uses it to shed light on old debates in ethics, such as debates about the rival merits of consequentialist and deontological views. Using the idea that principled views seem most... Read more

One Pragmatism, Consequentialism, and Teleology

Two Acquiescence and Necessity

Three The Cooperative Conception

Four The Bare Idea of Pattern-Based Reasons

Five Rejecting the Willingness Requirement

Six Recklessness and Futility

Seven Conclusion

Notes

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

Biography

Christopher Woodard is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Nottingham, UK.

"This is an excellent, sophisticated, thought-provoking book. It makes a real contribution to a central issue in teleological ethics. Anyone interested in teleological ethics will learn a great deal from this book." - . Tim Mulgan, University of St. Andrews, UK

"[The] focus on pattern-based reasons (and also on the pluralist approach) seems to me to be an important contribution to moral theory...Reasons, Patterns, and Cooperation offers a new theory that could be a candidate for the title of most plausible version of consequentialism." - Dr. Rob Lawlor, University of Leeds, UK

"This beautifully concise monograph is an invaluable resource for those interested in pattern-based reasons, cooperation and pluralistic approaches in ethics. The book contains a range of resources for categorizing and evaluating ethical positions, and some tremendously interesting extensions of traditional thought experiments to illustrate the centrality of structural claims to ethics. I highly recommend it." - Dr. Mitch Parsell, Macquarie University, Australia