A Short History of Ethics – Alasdair MacIntyre – 1966, University of Notre Dame Press
A Short History of Ethics
Alasdair MacIntyre’s A Short History of Ethics, first published in 1966, offers a critical examination of the development of moral philosophy from Homer to the mid-20th century. The work doesn’t present a systematic ethical theory of its own, but instead traces the changing understandings of ethics across different historical periods and thinkers, focusing on the shifts in the conceptual language used to discuss morality. MacIntyre argues that ethics becomes increasingly fragmented and ultimately incoherent during the Enlightenment and modern period, losing its grounding in a shared teleological understanding of human life.
Historical / Cultural Context
Published during a period of significant social and intellectual upheaval, MacIntyre’s work emerged from a dissatisfaction with both the dominant trends in analytic moral philosophy and the perceived moral relativism of the time. The book reflects a broader movement of “virtue ethics” gaining traction as a response to perceived inadequacies of utilitarianism and Kantianism. MacIntyre’s historical approach seeks to understand how modern moral discourse came to be in its current state. This investigation is essential for understanding how societal values have been constructed and how they relate to earlier cultural and religious frameworks. It engages with the ideas of figures like Homer, Sophocles, Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hume, Kant, and Nietzsche, demonstrating how their ideas shaped (and often conflicted with) subsequent ethical thought.
Who This Book Is For
This work is geared towards readers with a philosophical inclination and an interest in the history of ideas. It is accessible to those with some background in philosophy, though it does not require specialized knowledge. Students of ethics, history of philosophy, and cultural studies will find it particularly valuable. The book’s thorough engagement with historical context will also appeal to those interested in understanding the cultural evolution of moral beliefs.
Further Reading
- After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory by Alasdair MacIntyre: A more comprehensive articulation of MacIntyre’s ethical framework.
- The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle: A foundational text in virtue ethics that MacIntyre frequently references.
- Grounding Morality: A Defense of Ethical Naturalism by Russ Shafer-Landau: A contemporary exploration of ethical naturalism, offering a different perspective on moral foundations.
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