Practical Reasoning and Ethical Decision

✍ Scribed by Robert Audi

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 215
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Presenting the most comprehensive and lucid account of the topic currently available, Robert Audi's "Practical Reasoning and Ethical Decision" is essential reading for anyone interested in the role of reason in ethics or the nature of human action. The first part of the book is a detailed critical overview of the influential theories of practical reasoning found in Aristotle, Hume and Kant, whilst the second part examines practical reasoning in the light of important topics in moral psychology - weakness of will, self-deception, rationalization and others. In the third part, Audi describes the role of moral principles in practical reasoning and clarifies the way practical reasoning underlies ethical decisions. He formulates a comprehensive set of concrete ethical principles, explains how they apply to reasoning about what to do, and shows how practical reasoning guides moral conduct.

✦ Table of Contents

Book Cover......Page 1
Half-Title......Page 2
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Preface......Page 9
Acknowledgements......Page 11
Introduction......Page 13
Part I Historical and conceptual background......Page 20
One Aristotle on practical reasoning and the structure of action......Page 22
Two Hume and the instrumentalist conception of practical reasoning......Page 41
Three Kant and the autonomy of practical reason......Page 57
Part II Practical reasoning, practical arguments, and intentional action......Page 74
Four The varieties and basic elements of practical reasoning......Page 76
Five Practical reasoning and intentional action......Page 94
Six Practical reasoning in the dynamics of action......Page 107
Part III Practical reasoning, ethical decision, and rational action......Page 119
Seven The assessment of practical reasoning......Page 121
Eight General principles of practical appraisal......Page 136
Nine Practical reasoning and moral judgment......Page 147
Eleven The rationality of action and the plurality of value......Page 169
Ten Practical reasoning in ethical decisions......Page 159
Conclusion......Page 182
Notes......Page 187
Index......Page 206