Essays on the History of Moral Philosophy
J. B. Schneewind2010

The first of the chapters in this book argues against foundationalism in moral philosophy. The next analyzes the main arguments in Sidgwick's Methods of Ethics. One chapter relates Victorian moral philosophy to Victorian fiction; three present a general view of the history of modern ethics. Another documents and criticizes the neglect of this history in the American philosophy curriculum. The next five chapters discuss specific topics in the history of modern moral philosophy. One analyzes the role of God in morality as understood during the early modern period. One presents a brief overview of Pufendorf's views on obligation and natural law. Another shows by studying Hume and Kant that the topic of virtue was not neglected by modern moral philosophy. Another chapter shows that arguments about religious voluntarism are central to the development of modern moral philosophy. Hume's attack on rationalism is shown to be a part of his deep criticism of religion. Five chapters offer interpretations of Kant. One explains briefly why Kant is historically so important a figure. Another presents an overview of Kant's ethics. A comparison of Kant with the Stoics is used to object to some recent interpretations of Kant's moral philosophy. In two chapters it is argued that Kant's views on enlightenment and on unsocial sociability are tied to his unique theory of radical evil. The book ends with a philosophical autobiography, relating to the development of moral philosophy and American philosophical institutions from 1950 to the present