Do moral facts exist? What would they be like if they did? What does it mean to say that a moral claim is true? What is the link between moral judgement and motivation? Can we know whether something is right and wrong? Is morality a fiction?
Metaethics: An Introduction presents a very clear and engaging survey of the key concepts and positions in what has become one of the most exciting and influential fields of philosophy. Free from technicality and jargon, the book covers the main ideas that have shaped metaethics from the work of G. E. Moore to the latest thinking.
Written specifically for beginning students, the book assumes no prior philosophical knowledge. The book highlights ways to avoid common errors, offers hints and tips on learning the subject, includes a glossary of core terms, and provides guidance for further study.
1. Introduction 2. The Open Question Argument 3. Emotivism 4. Error Theory 5. Moral Realism and Naturalism 6. Moral Realism and Non-Naturalism 7. Quasi-Realism 8. Moral Relativism 9. Moral Psychology 10. Moral Epistemology 11. Fictionalism and Non-Descriptive Cognitivism. Index
Biography
Andrew Fisher
"Fills a very clear gap ... a genuinely introductory and accessible text. It would be very surprising if this book was not included as standard on most metaethics courses at undergraduate and Masters levels." – Political Studies Review
"One of the greatest successes of the work is that Fisher clearly understands what a textbook should be, and how it can be of most use to students … Fisher's book constantly points beyond itself, repeatedly and strongly hinting that there is more to be done once each chapter has been gone through … There is an awful lot to praise in this first-rate textbook … If you are a student looking for an accessible and worthwhile introduction to the field of metaethics, you have found it. If you are a lecturer looking for a metaethics textbook to recommend, you can recommend this one with confidence." – Metapsychology Online
