256 Pages
by Routledge

256 Pages
by Routledge

256 Pages
by Routledge

How do we know right from wrong? Do we even have moral knowledge? Moral epistemology studies these and related questions about our understanding of virtue and vice. It is one of philosophy’s perennial problems, reaching back to Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Locke, Hume and Kant, and has recently been the subject of intense debate as a result of findings in developmental and social psychology. In... Read more

Preface  1. Moral epistemology: content and method  2. Moral disagreement  3. Moral nihilism  4. The skeptic and the intuitionist  5. Deductive moral knowledge  6. Abductive moral knowledge  7. The reliability of our moral judgments  8. Epilogue: challenges to moral epistemology  Glossary  Notes  Bibliography  Index

Biography

Aaron Zimmerman is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University California, Santa Barbara. His research is focused on the intersection between thought, language and reason and he writes and teaches on David Hume's philosophical work.

'This volume is appropriate for a wide range of readers concerned with moral theory and moral epistemology. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty.' - CHOICE

'Zimmerman provides a lively and lucid yet precise and profound introduction to moral epistemology. Structured around responses to moral skepticism, Zimmerman deftly incorporates Dickens and Madoff, developmental and moral psychology, philosophy of language and theory of knowledge. This entertaining romp is highly recommended not only for students but also for experts and anyone who wants to learn more about moral epistemology.' - Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, Duke University, USA

‘Written with verve and peppered with stimulating examples, Moral Epistemology provides an excellent introduction for the novice and plenty to engage experts. Zimmerman's critical assessment is accessible, balanced, rigorous, and richly informed by developmental and moral psychology, philosophy of language, and general epistemology. Anyone interested in moral skepticism and intuitionism, inferring 'ought' from 'is,' or the reliability of our moral judgments will find this book provocative and insightful.’ - Pekka Väyrynen, University of Leeds, UK