I think one of the influential academic books on virtue ethics is After Virtue by Alistair McIntyre. Plenty of information about that book on the internet.

Thank you so much for your recommendation. I going to check out more deeply about it and try to buy it.

These works of moral philosophy reward close
rereading ...

Natural Goodness, Philippa Foot
Morality and Conflict, Stuart Hamphire
The Therapy of Desire, Martha Nussbaum

Thank you for these recommendations.:up:

Natural Goodness, Philippa Foot

Interesting how Philippa Foot was so specialist in Ethics. I see her name everywhere when this topic is related.

First port of call - find out if we have free will!

Ethics, Discovering Right And Wrong; Pojman L.P. & Fiesler J. (Wadsworth CENGAGE Learning), any late edition. It's a very good introduction to the subject.

Epicurus, Spinoza, Nietzsche, et al say we don't. Read On The Nature of Things (Lucretius), The Ethics and On The Geneaology of Morals. :smirk:

Don't whatever you do read Spinoza's Ethics. It has no ethics in it.

:rofl:

Yeah, that's pretty funny.

Weird names for books, back in the day.

Epicurus, Spinoza, Nietzsche, et al say we don't. Read On The Nature of Things (Lucretius), The Ethics and On The Geneaology of Morals. — 180 Proof

How unfortunate for the good - they don't get credit - and how fortunate for the bad - they're blameless. Most people would be jumping with joy then and thereby hangs a very sad tale!

I'm not much interested in ethics philosophically, with a few exceptions when it comes to our intuitions of right and wrong.

I suppose my exception would be Bertrand Russell. He has a bunch of stuff on ethics pertaining to all kinds of problems. One book would be The Conquest of Happiness.

In terms of essays, I think his In Praise of Idleness is quite interesting and on point. In short, almost any book or essay by him on this topic is worth skimming at least.

essays, I think his In Praise of Idleness — Manuel

Thank you for this recommendation because I was looking exactly of something like an essay. I going to check it out and see what holds. :up:

Don't whatever you do read Spinoza's Ethics. It has no ethics in it. — bert1

I don't like any of Spinoza's works. He is not a philosopher or thinker to trust about :rofl:

:up: :fire: Thanks

Don't whatever you do read Spinoza's Ethics. It has no ethics in it. — bert1

Rather than dismiss one of the greatest works of philosophy, it would be more sensible and modest to ask the question of why a book titled "Ethics" seems not to be about ethics. Rather and assume the text is wanting, perhaps it is your own understand of the text that is wanting.

Spinoza's signet ring was engraved with the word "Caute". This motto informed his writing and so should inform our reading of him.

"I don't like any of Spinoza's works. He is not a philosopher or thinker to trust about"

Russell, himself, mentioned Spinoza specifically, opining that Spinoza was among the most human of philosophers. You can find that statement in 'A History of Western Philosophy" by Russell.

I suppose my exception would be Bertrand Russell. He has a bunch of stuff on ethics pertaining to all kinds of problems. One book would be The Conquest of Happiness. — Manuel

That's a great book indeed.

I would also recommend:

Aristotle: Nichomachean Ethics.

Sextus: Against the Ethicists.

Hume: An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals.

Wittgenstein: A Lecture on Ethics

Moore: Principia Ethica.

:up:

It's just not my personal area of interest, though I do for example think that Hume's talk about ethics is interesting. Aristotle, from what I can remember, aims for a standard that is very high to be used consistently.

As for the rest, I can't say. But they must have insightful things to say.

Aristotle: Nichomachean Ethics. — Amalac

I read it three years ago and it is one of the best philosophy books I ever read :up:

:fire:

Rather than dismiss one of the greatest works of philosophy, it would be more sensible and modest to ask the question of why a book titled "Ethics" seems not to be about ethics. Rather and assume the text is wanting, perhaps it is your own understand of the text that is wanting. — Fooloso4

There may be truckloads of inspiring ethics, cautiously and diligently arrived at by means of his painstaking philosophical method. However as they are likely to be expounded near the conclusion of the book, and no one (sane) has read that far, they remain obscure. It would be a rash gamble to invest the decades it would take to find out.

It is a difficult book and not one I would recommend to someone looking for general works on ethics, but to say it has no ethics in it is wrong. Although challenging it is certainly manageable.

Spinoza is not obscure. The part about God not being involved in your personal business comes early and fast.
It seems that any Ethics has to be a response to what one thinks is happening, some kind of generalized expectation of the future.

I'm sure you're both right. My objection is to philosophical literature generally, I was just picking on Spinoza for fun. Philosophy is usually painful to read, at least for me. Hume and Berkeley are exceptions perhaps.

Talking of Hume, his ethical writings are really good. Simple and insightful. Forget what it's called now. I'll recommend that to the op when I remember what it is.

Christian take on morality:

Fall Of Man

The fall of man, the fall of Adam, or simply the Fall, is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of INNOCENT obedience to God to a state of guilty DISOBEDIENCE. — Wikipedia

Innocence

A "loss of innocence" is a common theme in fiction, pop culture, and realism. It is often seen as an integral part of coming of age. It is usually thought of as an experience or period in a person's life that leads to a greater awareness of evil, pain and/or suffering in the world around them. — Wikipedia

People who lack the mental capacity to understand the nature of their acts may be regarded as innocent regardless of their behavior. — Wikipedia

Four possibilities in re knowledge of good and evil (morality) and free will (saying NO = DISOBEDIENCE) :point: What Is Moral? & :point: What Is Moral (disobedience)

1. Know morality, yes free will (Ate the apple; good & bad apply)
2. Know morality, no free will (good & bad don't apply)
3. Doesn't know morality, yes free will (Didn't eat the apple; innocence = good)
4. Doesn't know morality, no free will (good & bad don't apply)

The only way to be always good is to be innocent (3) but that means you should have zero knowledge of ethics/morality.

Hence, here are my recommendations for good books on ethics/morality (from a Christian point of view):

1. A record of the statesmanship and political achievements of Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, regular Democratic nominee for president of the United States (1880).

2. Political Achievements of the Earl of Dalkeith (1880).

3. What Every Man Thinks About Apart from Sex.

4. Everything Obama Knows About The Economy.

5. Fifty Shades of Gray.

6. Why Dogs are Better than Cats.

7. The Wit and Wisdom of Nigel Farage.

8. Surprising Reasons to Believe Trump Will Be a Great President!

9. Why Trump Deserves Trust, Respect and Admiration. 

10. Reasons To Vote For Democrats.

Basically, the best book on ethics is An Empty Book

What Every Man Thinks About Apart from Sex. — TheMadFool

This title makes me feel so interested in the book right now. I don't know why but I guess I thought literally this for years. Fortunately, I am one of those weird "freaks" who loves think or speak about everything except/apart sex.

Basically, the best book on ethics is An Empty Book — TheMadFool

Keep it in my next book list too :up:

This title makes me feel so interested in the book right now. I don't know why but I guess I thought literally this for years. Fortunately, I am one of those weird "freaks" who loves think or speak about everything except/apart sex. — javi2541997

Like I think women say to each other, "Men have only two things on their mind, sex and no sex."

:smirk: