The morals of modernity

The essays collected in this volume explore the problem of the relation between moral philosophy and modernity. This problem consists in defining the way distinctive forms of modern experience should orient our moral thinking, as well as examining whether the dominant forms of modern philosophy have not become blind to important dimensions of the moral life.

Charles Larmore argues against recent attempts to return to the virtue-centered perspective of ancient Greek ethics. As well as exploring the differences between ancient and modern ethics, he treats such topics as the roles of reason and history in our moral understanding, the inadequacy of philosophical naturalism, and the foundations of modern liberalism. There are also extended discussions of a number of leading contemporary philosophers: Rawls, Habermas, Williams, and Rorty.

Written in a distinctively lucid style and covering a wide compass, these essays will be of particular interest to professional philosophers and political scientists, but they will also appeal to general readers concerned with ethics and politics.