Aristotelian Ethics in Contemporary Perspective

This collection of essays presents contemporary views on the history of and present import of Aristotelian ethics, advancing both criticisms and defenses of (neo-)Aristotelian. The material is organized into two parts, the bulk of which is on themes in neo-Aristotelian ethics and ethical theories drawing, and then on other philosophers that seek to go beyond neo-Aristotelian ethics. Topics include challenges to "the Aristotelian tendency to blur the distinction between the good and the right by making the virtues ... objects of praise or blame," a critical examination of the thesis that virtues benefit their possessor, a defense of neo-Aristotelian naturalism, and using attachment theory to understand and defend a "modest" version of neo-Aristotelian ethical naturalism. Alternative approaches to virtue ethics in the latter section draw on Heidegger, Hume, and Kant. The contributors are professors of philosophy and research fellows from North American and European universities. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Julia Peters is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Bonn, Germany.