The History of Ethics

by Vernon J. Bourke

When first published in 1968, Vernon J. Bourke’s The History of Ethics became the first full-scale, English-language history of the subject since Henry Sidgwick’s 1886 Outlines of the History of Ethics . In this masterful survey, Bourke addresses the many lacunae of Sigwick’s Outlines , especially with regard to the Medieval era, and also accomplishes what Alasdair MacIntyre’s Short History of Ethics could not, by means of a comprehensive presentation of twentieth-century moral philosophers. This new edition restores Bourke’s work to a single volume, thus providing an uninterrupted account of the ethical theories of Western philosophy from its beginnings, five hundred years before Christ, to the 1960s. The History of Ethics emphasizes the key contributions of numerous ethicians with focused treatments that avoid verbiage, while also engaging an expository, rather than critical, approach, in order to allow the theories and thinkers to stand (or fall) on their own merit.

490 pages, Paperback

Published July 31, 2020

Reviews

[Pastor Josh Thompson]

Poor Writing

This should be converted into a dictionary. The writing style is that of name dropping without ever explaining or saying anything of substance before dropping the next name. I am sure it could be helpful in listing the works of those he attempts to discuss, but otherwise this book explains very little in a helpful manner.