Intuitionism

Description

Is the way to moral truth through theory? Or do we already know what's right and wrong? Throughout modern history philosophers have tried to construct elaborate moral systems to determine what's right. Recently, however, some have revived the position that we have intuitive knowledge of right and wrong. In this book, David Kaspar introduces and explores the perspective known as 'Intuitionism'. Charting intuitionism's fall in the twentieth century and its recent resurgence, Kaspar looks at the intuitionist approach to the most important topics in ethics, from moral knowledge to intrinsically good moral action. David Kaspar defends intuitionism against criticisms from competing metaethical schools, such as moral nihilism and ethical naturalism. It also takes on normative rivals, such as utilitarianism, Kantianism, and virtue ethics. By consolidating the stronger claims of both early analytic and contemporary intuitionists, Kaspar goes on to make a robust case for a rigorously intuitionist approach to explaining morality. Intuitionism also includes chapter summaries and guides to further reading throughout to help readers explore and master this important school of contemporary ethical thought. This is an ideal resource for undergraduates and postgraduates taking courses in ethics, metaethics and moral philosophy.

David Kaspar is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at St. John's University, New York, USA

Kaspar has succeeded in creating a lucid and engaging guide for those unfamiliar with intuitionism. The book will certainly be accessible to undergraduates - its chapter summaries are especially helpful in this regard - so I think it is likely to make a very useful teaching resource. Kaspar draws on both contemporary literature and on the work of important early intuitionists, thereby charting the course that he thinks intuitionism should take. Whether or not moral intuitionism is more successful than its rivals, Kaspar does an excellent job of showcasing its attractions. -- Stephen Ingram, University of Sheffield * Ethical Perspectives * The book's constructive project is worthy of attention. Kaspar uses the many objections to intuitionism to pare the theory down to its essentials; then, he develops a framework that promises to solve the explanatory and epistemological puzzles that the view faces. His account of moral facts deserves further discussion; his observations about the centrality of moral relations to ethics are quite compelling; and his diagnosis of moral disagreement (in terms of different weightings of known prima facie duties) seems promising. * Philosophy in Review *