ABSTRACT

Can moral disagreements be rationally resolved? Can universal human rights be defended in face of moral disagreements?
The problem of moral disagreement is one of the central problems in moral thinking. It also provides a stimulating stepping-stone to some of the perennial problems of philosophy, such as relativism, scepticism, and objectivity. Moral Disagreements is the first anthology to bring together classic and contemporary readings on this key topic. Clearly divided into five parts; The Historical Debate; Voices from Anthropology; Challenges to Moral Objectivity; Defenses of Moral Objectivity; and New Directions, the anthology presents readings from the following key thinkers:
* Sextus, Empiricus, Chagnon, Wong, MacIntyre
* Aquinas, Shweder, Brink, Rawls
* Montaigne, Turner, Nussbaum, Narayan
* Hume, Mackie, Gewirth
* Nietzsche, Williams, Berlin.
A distinctive feature of the anthology is that it brings philosophers into dialogue with well-known anthropologists. Also included is a comprehensive introduction by Christopher Gowans, introducing the problem of moral disagreement to those coming to the topic for the first time.

chapter |43 pages

Introduction

Debates about moral disagreements

part I|44 pages

The Historical Debate

chapter 1|8 pages

Outlines of Scepticism

chapter 3|9 pages

Renaissance Skepticism

chapter 4|8 pages

A Dialogue

chapter 5|8 pages

Beyond Good and Evil

part II|35 pages

Some Voices from Anthropology

chapter 8|11 pages

Human Rights, Human Difference

Anthropology's contribution to an emancipatory cultural politics

part III|29 pages

Challenges To Moral Objectivity

chapter 9|3 pages

The Argument from Relativity

chapter 10|11 pages

Knowledge, Science, Convergence

chapter 11|13 pages

Moral Relativity and Tolerance

part IV|36 pages

Defenses of Moral Objectivity

chapter 12|11 pages

Moral Disagreement

chapter 13|12 pages

Non-Relative Virtues

An Aristotelian approach 1

part V|51 pages

New Directions

chapter 15|11 pages

The Pursuit of The Ideal

chapter 16|13 pages

The Rationality of Traditions

chapter 18|13 pages

Essence of Culture and a Sense of History

A feminist critique of cultural essentialism