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A Short History of Ethics

Written by: Alasdair MacIntyre
Narrated by: Tim Dalgleish
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Publisher's Summary

A Short History of Ethics is a significant contribution written by one of the most important living philosophers. It remains an important work, ideal for all students interested in ethics and morality. 

The book is published by University of Notre Dame Press. 

©1996, 1998 Alasdair MacIntyre (P)2017 Redwood Audiobooks

What the critics say

"The author has become perhaps the most important moral philosopher in the English-speaking world." ( First Things)
"MacIntyre's highly respected Short History has been translated into six languages. MacIntyre is always provocative, and this book will continue to excite engagement with fundamental moral issues." ( Choice)
"This brilliant and provocative book is not so much a history of ethics as it is an essay about the history of ethics...it is interesting and philosophically important in a way that most short histories...are not." ( Philosophical Review)

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Good book, distracting narrator

Book is very interesting. Nice summary of Plato etc. The narration is pretty weird with a thick Scottish accent. He unfortunately uses different accents when quoting some famous author from some other country. It would have been better with a more common, less exotic accent.

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Challenging but worthwhile

I decided to listen to this book hoping to get to the historical basis for a key distinction of which I am aware in ethics (and I will probably betray here my ignorance), that between consequentialist and deontological ethics.

However this does not come through in this book. Rather, the author’s central point is that different ethical frameworks, which co-exist today, each have historical roots. We may choose one or we may choose the other (eg, a fairly standard form of liberal outlook or conservative or some variant of Christian) but whether in or out of such an outlook we have no basis for judging that this or that ethical perspective is « better » than another. There is no logical test nor absolute standard by which to judge them. Philosophers disagree as to which ethical norms are fundamental; virtuallly none can be deemed universally agreed upon.

Indeed, it is difficult to see where the human perception that some things are right and others wrong in an absolute sense comes from.

This book is likely to appeal to those who are not afraid of critical thinking about ethical norms - including their own. It is unsettling in that sense.

The historical overview is extensive with much material on the ancient Greek philosophers. Only Western philosophy is touched upon however.

The material is clearly laid out, although dense. One gets the impression that the author is an excellent scholar in his field. The reading is clear and well done.

I came to this book from a Christian perspective (formed by writers such as C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald and Bonhoeffer). This book had helped me see how such faith can look from the point of view of a non-believing philosopher. It is indeed striking, as MacIntyre points out, how many different ethical stances on various issues have been defended as Christian. It is a rather « elastic » framework (which may help account for its large number and variety of adherents!)

In the end, these issues are not simple and this book helps us appreciate them a bit better.

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