Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Global Philosophy and Ethical Theory
Ethical Theory
Evaluating Moral Theories
The Structure of the Book
Global Philosophy
Section 1: Character-Based Moral Theories
Character, Virtue, and Continence
The Role of Character
Teleology
Flourishing
Advantages and Disadvantages
Summary
Further Reading
Chapter 1. Feelings, Virtues, and Happiness in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
Introduction
Eudaimonia and Happiness
The Objectivity of Happiness
Reason and the Moral Virtues
Reason and Emotion
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 2. Confucianism
Introduction
Confucianism as a Virtue Ethics
Principles, Consequences, and Practical Decision-Making
Virtue and Moral Principle
Virtue and Consequences
Practical Decision-Making
The Confucian Conception of Human Nature
The Cultivation of Virtues
Moral Cultivation for Mengzi
Moral Cultivation for Xunzi
Is Confucian Ethics Self-Centered?
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 3. Virtue Ethics in Early Buddhism
Introduction
Virtue
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Primary Sources/Abbreviations
Secondary Sources
Chapter 4. Communo-Welfarism: An Akan Humanistic Moral Theory
Introduction
Humanism as the Source and Justification of Moral Standards
Character and Morality
Personhood, Community, and Morality
Teleology and Community
Akan Ethics and Deontology
Communo-Welfarism
Communo-welfarism and political culture in Africa
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Section 2: Consequentialist Moral Theories
Introduction
Decision Procedures
Theory of Value
Objective versus Subjective, Welfarist versus Non-Welfarist
Universal versus Non-Universal, Partial versus Impartial
Object of Evaluation
Summary
Further Reading
Chapter 5. The Secular Hedonism of the Cārvākas
The Nature of Cārvāka/Lokāyata Darśana
The Hedonist Ethics of Cārvākas
The Question of Hedonism in the Cārvāka-darśana
Enjoy Life by Making Debts?
In Defense of Sensuous Pleasure
Secular Hedonism versus Religious Hedonism
The Secular Ethics of Cārvākas
Is Secular Ethics Possible?
Otherworldly Religious Ethics
Criticism of Caste and Gender Discrimination Supported Script ures
The Theory of Human Goals (Puruṣārtha)
Dharma and Liberation as This-worldly Human Goals
Cārvāka Hedonism: Egoistic or Utilitarian?
Summary
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 6. Utilitarianism
Introduction
Early Utilitarians
Bentham
Mill
Harriet Taylor Mill
Utilitarianism in Practice
Types of Utilitarianism
Types of Utilitarianism with Different Theories of Well-being
Types of Utilitarianism with Different Theories of Right Action
Objections
The Cluelessness Objection
The Injustice Objection
The Demandingness Objection
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 7. Mozi and Inclusive Care
Introduction
Doctrines
Universalization and Benefit
Inclusive Care
Equal Concern versus Equal Treatment
Consequentialism versus Divine Command Theory
Summary
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 8. Why Would a Buddha Lie? Varieties of Buddhist Consequentialism
Introduction
A Robust Consequentialist Interpretation: Goodman’s Consequences of Compassion
Mitigated Roles for Consequentialism in Other Interpretations of Mahāyāna Ethics
Objections to the Idea of Consequentialism being “Buddhist”
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Section 3: Deontological Moral Theories
Introduction
Obligatory, Prohibited, and Permitted Actions
Special Commitments and Agent Relativism
The Moral Law
The Moral Community
Intuitionalism, Pluralism, and Non-Absolutism
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Chapter 9. Immanuel Kant and Deontology
Introduction
Kant’s Ethics
Formulations of the Categorical Imperative
Is Kantian Ethics Deontological?
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 10. Mou Zongsan and Moral Feeling
Introduction
The School of Mind and Moral Feeling
Non-Sensible Moral Feeling
The Identity of Reason and Feeling
Respect for the Moral Law
Freedom of the Will
Universal Law versus Particular Feeling
Summary
Note
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 11. Contractualism
Introduction
Outline of Scanlon’s Contractualism
Contractualism, Utilitarianism, and Aggregation
Ex-Post versus Ex-Ante Contractualism
Objections to Contractualism
Summary
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 12. Jürgen Habermas and Discourse Ethics
Introduction
Discourse Ethics and Language
Rules of Discourse and Performative Contradiction
Justifying Discourse
Ethics and Morality
The Universalization Principle
Justifying (U)
Contextualism, Justification, and Application
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 13. Rossian Deontology
Introduction
What Makes this View a Deontological Theory?
Some Internal Disagreements among Rossians
Summary
Note
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Section 4: Particularist, Anti-Theoretical, and Other Approaches to Morality
Introduction
Anti-Theory
Anti-Theory and Moral Talk
Particularism
Holism and Anti-Foundationalism
Holism versus Atomism
Foundationalism versus Non-Foundationalism
The Use of Principles
Yoga Ethics
Summary
Further Reading
Chapter 14. The Ethics of Daoism: The Dissolving Boundary between Right and Wrong
Introduction
The Completed Heart-Mind
Fitting a Context
Disagreements within the Zhuangzi
Responding to Confucian Criticism
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 15. Zen Buddhist Ethics and the Bodhisattva Vow
Introduction
The Emptiness of Good and Evil and the Sources of Misunderstanding
Compassion and the Bodhisattva Ideal
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 16. Ethical Dimensions of Advaita Vedanta
Introduction
Advaita Vedānta Metaphysics
Ethics as Mokṣasādhana
Ritual Duties
A Conflict Between Morality and Liberation
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 17. Care Ethics: Love, Care, and Connection
Introduction
Care Ethics
Origins and Central Figures
Lorde, hooks, and Love
Care Ethics: A Comparison
Care Ethics as Particularist
Relation to Other Ethical Theories
Using Care Ethics
Care Ethics as Feminist
Critiques of Care Ethics
The Justice Challenge
The Feminist Status Concern
Summary
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Chapter 18. Yoga: Procedural Devotion to the Right
Introduction
Grounding Philosophical Understanding
Normative Theory
Ideal and Non-Ideal Ethical Theory
Influence of Yoga
Summary
Notes
Further Reading
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Contributors
Index