Why Be Good?: A Historical Introduction to Ethics

by Duncan Richter

In Plato's Republic, the character Thrasymachus asks whether it is important to be morally good. He contends that the only rational policy to follow is one of strict self-interest; if you can get away with it, why not do the "wrong" thing? Why be good?
Ideal for courses in introductory ethics or the history of ethics, Why Be Good?: A Historical Introduction to Ethics takes up Thrasymachus' immoralist challenge, using it as a unifying theme throughout. An engaging and historically organized introduction, this unique volume explores the vital question of why we should be good. Author Duncan Richter presents a series of intriguing responses from the Western philosophical tradition, offering chapters on Plato, Aristotle, prominent thinkers in Christianity, Aquinas, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, Mill, Nietzsche, and several twentieth-century philosophers. In each chapter, Richter focuses on the main ethical theories of the philosopher(s) discussed, explaining their ideas on ethics, virtue, and character and the objections resulting from their arguments. Each chapter builds on the concepts covered in previous chapters; this historical approach results in a debate that elucidates the various theories and helps students understand each new
argument as a reaction to those that preceded it. The final chapter integrates up-to-date coverage of feminist ethics; evolutionary psychology; contemporary continental philosophers (Derrida in particular); and analytic virtue ethics since Wittgenstein, with an emphasis on Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, and Rosalind Hursthouse. In contrast with other books on the topic, this text treats all theories equally, including religious views.
Focusing on character and virtue ethics, Why Be Good? encourages students to reflect on their own lives, on what it means to be good, and on why --and whether -they should be good. The text is enhanced by key terms (boldfaced the first time they appear), Questions for Further Thought at the end of each chapter, and Suggestions for Further Reading throughout.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2007

Reviews

[Scott Lupo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why be good? Isn't that obvious? Not so obvious after reading this excellent primer on the philosophy of ethics. While being just an intro book, Duncan Richter does a brilliant job of organizing the main arguments and points that result from such a discussion. Starting off with Plato the main question to answer is "Why should anybody be good? Shouldn't self-interest trump everything? If you can get away with it, why not do the "wrong" thing?" Sticking with Western philosophical tradition, Richter presents responses from thinkers throughout the centuries including Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Hobbes, David Hume, Immanual Kant, John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Neietzsche, and ends with some contemporaries like Elizabeth Anscombe, Phillipa Foot, and Rosalind Hursthouse. Of course, with any philosophical discussion the subject matter can run different directions rather quickly but Richter stays on target with only a few sideline arguments that only enhance the discussion. He presents each thinker's point of view with a few excerpts from the actual philosopher's works and then analyzes it within the scope of the original question. He ends each chapter with a conclusion and then uses that to build the next chapter with a different thinker. All in all, this is introductory ethics which is what I was looking for in a book. I actually hear these questions in everyday life so it was nice to have some material I can actually use when engaging with others. The best part: there really is no definitive answer! Philosophers to this day still struggle to put together an airtight argument for why we should be good. So very interesting!

[Alexander Asay · Rating 1 out of 5]

UGA (TA): Introduction to Ethics