Realism and Imagination in Ethics

by Sabina Lovibond

A well-rounded examination of ethical thought, language, and action In Realism and Imagination in Ethics , author Sabina Lovibond explores the non-cognitive theory of ethics along with its objections and the alternative of moral realism. Delving into expressivism, perception, moral sense theory, objectivity, and more, this book pulls from Wittgenstein, Hegel, Bradley, Nietzsche and others to explore the many facets of ethics and perception. The discussion analyzes the language, theories, and criteria surrounding ethical action, and describes the faults and fallacies of traditional schools of thought.

Genres: Philosophy

253 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 1983

Reviews

[Volbet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of analytical philosophy for various reasons, not having a good understanding of the analytical methodology being one of them.
But this was actually a really easy to follow book.

Sabina Lovibond's thesis is fairly straightforward: Lovibond want to demonstrate how non-cognitivist ethics is lacking in explaining the moral experiences of humans. Rather, but returning the analytical method to Ludwig Wittgenstein's linguistic analysis, Lovibond builds a rendition of moral realism, where ethical norms takes on a material form in the interpersonal communication between members of an ethically-based community.
As such, Lovibond manages to marry the ethical framework of more Continental philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche with the epistemology of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel through Wittgensteins' theory of the logic of language.

And while Lovibond does falter to the old analytical trap of wanting senpai Wittgenstein to notice them, Lovibond also manages to argue her thesis really well.