Talbot Brewer presents an invigorating new approach to ethical theory, in the context of human selfhood and agency. The first main theme of the book is that contemporary ethical theorists have focused too narrowly on actions and the discrete episodes of deliberation through which we choose them, and that the subject matter of the field looks quite different if one looks instead at unfolding activities and the continuous forms of evaluative awareness that carry them forward and that constitute an essential element of those activities. The second is that ethical reflection is itself a centrally important life activity, and that philosophical ethics is an extension of this practical activity rather than a merely theoretical reflection upon it. Brewer's approach is founded on a far-reaching reconsideration of the notions of the nature and sources of human agency, and particularly of the way in which practical thinking gives shape to activities, relationships and lives. He contests the usual understanding of the relationship between philosophical psychology and ethics. The Retrieval of Ethics shows the need for a new contemplative vision of the point or value of human action -- without which we will remain unable to make optimal sense of our efforts to unify our lives around a tenable conception of how best to live them, or of the yearnings that draw us to our ideals and to each other.

About the Author
Talbot Brewer is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Virginia.

Reviews
Review from previous edition Talbot Brewer's The Retrieval of Ethics is a deep, provocative, and wide-ranging contribution to the virtue ethical critique of modern moral philosophy. ... Brewer is not afraid to go out on a limb when led there by the logic of his argument, carving out new conceptual space in the process. This is what makes the book refreshing.... [This is] an enormously rich book that draws fruitfully upon philosophical, literary, and theological works and covers an incredibly broad swath of philosophical terrain. ... In sum, The Retrieval of Ethics is a challenging and rewarding contribution not only to the narrow field called "virtue ethics", but to practical philosophy very broadly construed. * Tamar Schapiro, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *



Book Information
ISBN 9780199692224
Author Talbot Brewer
Format Paperback
Page Count 354
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 505g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 156mm * 19mm