1st Edition

Discourse and Knowledge Defence of a Collectivist Ethics

By Janna Thompson Copyright 1998

    Ethical disagreement is a fact of social life. We disagree about issues such as abortion, euthanasia, the meaning of justice and the treatment of animals, and our debates often fail to reach a consensus. Some philosophers think that this means there is no objective knowledge about morality. Discourse and Knowledge takes a radically different approach to the defence of ethical rationality. It claims that there is a correct solution to ethical controversies, but that ethical decisions have to be made collectively.
    Written specifically for those studying or teaching ethics or moral theory,Discourse and Knowledge will also be ideal for those on courses on social theory, ethics or feminist philosophy.

    Introducing ethical collectivism, PART I. Ethical disagreement: the problem and its cause, 1. Can ethics be rational? The problem of disagreement, 2. Discourse ethics and the critique of monology, 3. The nature of moral judgment: a moral-psychological inquiry, PART II. Ethical reasoning from a collectivist point of view, 4. Requirements of ethical reasoning: critical discourse, 5. Requirements of ethical reasoning: constructive discourse, PART III. Ethical collectivism and ethical agency, 6. Conscience, authenticity and collective decision-making, Notes, Bibliography, Index

    Biography

    Janna Thompson is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at La Trobe University, She is the author ofJustice and World Order :A Philosophical Inquiry,also published by Routledge.

    'An extremely able and well-written book, which I hope and expect will be widely discussed.' - Heythrop Journal