1st Edition

What Is the Point of Moral Philosophy?

Edited By Roger Crisp, Ingmar Persson, Julian Savulescu Copyright 2026
196 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

196 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

Over the last half-century, moral philosophy has taken an applied turn, covering practical issues in areas such as medicine, business, the environment, and many others. But it has largely failed to examine itself. In this volume, a range of distinguished contemporary ethicists, representing many different positions, examine what might be the point, if any, of moral philosophy. Given the deep... Read more

Introduction Roger Crisp, Ingmar Persson, and Julian Savulescu
1. Modern Moral Philosophy: Inconclusive and Esoteric to the Point of Pointlessness? Ingmar Persson
2. Moral Philosophy and Moral Action: A Response to Persson’s Skepticism Jeff McMahan
3. Does Moral Philosophy Have Any Point? David DeGrazia
4. Does Moral Philosophy Really Have No Significant Moral Point? Melinda A. Roberts
5. What is the Point of this Paper? Michael Zimmerman
6. Moral Philosophy: Possibly Not Pointless? Roger Crisp
7. The Epistemic and Moral Points of Moral Philosophy Thomas Douglas
8. On the Possibility of Progress in Moral Philosophy Larry Temkin
9. Changing Lives Peter Singer
10. Some Points of Moral Philosophy and Obstacles They May Create F. M. Kamm
11. The Point of Moral Philosophy: To Direct How We Should Live and Act Julian Savulescu
12. A Brief Response to Critics Ingmar Persson

Biography

Roger Crisp is Director of the Uehiro Oxford Institute, Professor of Moral Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford, and Supernumerary Fellow, St Anne’s College, Oxford. He is the author of Sacrifice Regained (2019) and several other books and articles on ethics and the history of ethics.

Ingmar Persson is Emeritus Professor of Practical Philosophy, University of Gothenburg, and Distinguished Research Fellow, Uehiro Oxford. His fields of interest are ethics and philosophy of mind and action, and his main publications are six books published by Oxford University Press.

Julian Savulescu is the Chen Su Lan Centennial Professor in Medical Ethics at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, and holds the Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford. Trained in medicine and bioethics, he is the author of over 650 publications in medical and practical ethics, moral psychology, and philosophy.