
Contemporary Metaethics
An Introduction
Alexander Miller(Author)
Polity Press
2nd Edition
Published on 29. March 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-0-7456-4659-6 (ISBN)
Description
This new edition of Alexander Miller's highly readable introduction to contemporary metaethics provides a critical overview of the main arguments and themes in twentieth- and twenty-first-century contemporary metaethics. Miller traces the development of contemporary debates in metaethics from their beginnings in the work of G. E. Moore up to the most recent arguments between naturalism and non-naturalism, cognitivism and non-cognitivism.
From Moore's attack on ethical naturalism, A. J. Ayer's emotivism and Simon Blackburn's quasi-realism to anti-realist and best opinion accounts of moral truth and the non-reductionist naturalism of the 'Cornell realists', this book addresses all the key theories and ideas in this field. As well as revisiting the whole terrain with revised and updated guides to further reading, Miller also introduces major new sections on the revolutionary fictionalism of Richard Joyce and the hermeneutic fictionalism of Mark Kalderon.
The new edition will continue to be essential reading for students, teachers and professional philosophers with an interest in contemporary metaethics.
Reviews / Votes
"No student or teacher could want for a more knowledgable and lucid guide - essential reading for any moral philosopher who wants to be taken seriously." Morning Star "This remains the indispensable guide to the subject for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and philosophers wanting to get 'up to speed' on the issues." Brian Leiter, University of Chicago "For many years, the first edition of Alex Miller's An Introduction to Contemporary Metaethics has been the primary text for my course on metaethics. No text that I know of introduces students so thoroughly to the central theories, distinctions and arguments. The second edition fills in the additional background now needed. In particular, the expansion of the chapter on error theories is particularly welcome." Nadeem Hussain, Stanford University "Given its breadth, thoroughness, and originality, Miller's An Introduction to Contemporary Metaethics is compulsory reading for everyone interested in metaethics. The updated material of this second edition guarantees that there will soon exist a second generation of metaethicists for whom reading this book is a formative experience." Jussi Suikkanen, University of Birmingham Acclaim for the first edition: "An Introduction to Contemporary Metaethics provides for the first time a critical survey of famous figures in 20th Century metaethics together with in-depth discussions of contemporary philosophers and will be an invaluable resource for students, teachers and professional philosophers with interests in contemporary metaethics." Philosophical Inquiry "His discussion is always succinct, rigorous and lucid. The book will be very useful to upper-division undergraduates." Choice Magazine "A precise and accessible reading of a rather complicated subject." Syzetesis "In this book Alexander Miller, an established expert in moral philosophy, provides a concise, clear and insightful account of the central issues of metaethics. He manages to make these difficult issues accessible to those who are new to this area of philosophy, while offering original contributions to the debates that will be of interest to experts in the field. This is an engaging and accomplished introductory work." Philip Stratton-Lake, University of Reading "Miller's book is ambitious, lucid, and comprehensive - an extremely useful and detailed study of the field. I wish it had been available when I taught my graduate seminar in moral realism, for it would have made an excellent reference work throughout the course - both for its clear exposition and its rigorous critical perspectives. I recommend it to all serious students of metaethics." John Corvino, Wayne State UniversityMore details
Edition
2. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 151 mm
Width: 48 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
498 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7456-4659-6 (9780745646596)
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
02/2014
2nd Edition
Polity Press
€27.99
Available for download

Book
04/2013
2nd Edition
Polity Press
€75.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Previous edition

Alex Miller
An Introduction to Contemporary Metaethics
Book
08/2003
Polity Press
€43.51
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
Alexander Miller is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Otago.
Content
* Preface
* Chapter 1: Introduction
* Chapter 2: Moore's Attack on Ethical Naturalism
* Chapter 3: Emotivism and the Rejection of Non-Naturalism
* Chapter 4: Blackburn's Quasi-Realism
* Chapter 5: Gibbard's Norm-Expressivism
* Chapter 6: Mackie's 'Error-theory', The Argument From Queerness and Moral Fictionalism
* Chapter 7:Judgement-Dependent Accounts of Moral Qualities
* Chapter 8: Naturalism I - Cornell Realism
* Chapter 9: Naturalism II - Reductionism
* Chapter 10: Contemporary Non-Naturalism - McDowell's Moral Realism
* Appendix: Sense, Reference, Semantic Value, and Truth-Conditions
* Bibliography