Natural goodness

136 Pages·2001·0.912 MB·English

by  Foot, Philippa

Natural Goodness
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Natural Goodness
Philippa Foot
CLARENDON PRESS · OXFORD
2001
GreatClarendonStreet,OxfordOX26DP
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ISBN0–19–823508–9
To
Warren Quinn
In Memoriam
Man is indeed an object miraculous vain, various and wavering. It is difficult to found a judgement on him whichis steady and uniform.
Montaigne, Essays, Book I, 1
Youcanattachthewholeofmoralphilosophytoacommonplaceprivatelifejustaswellastooneofricherstuff.Everymanbearsthewhole
Form of the human condition.
Montaigne, Essays, Book III, 2
Preface
Ihavebeenwritingthisbookfor manyyears, andhavebenefitedgreatlyfromdiscussions withcolleagues, especiallyat
Oxford and UCLA, but also at many other universities. If I have here repeated other people's arguments without
acknowledgement I only hope they will blame a defective memory rather than professional thievishness.
It will be obvious that I owe most to the work of Elizabeth Anscombe, and to early discussions with her. But I must
also give special thanks to Christopher Coope, Peter Conradi, and Michael Thompson who read the whole of a first
draft of the book and sent me wonderful comments. Anselm Müller has also read some chapters for me and helped
me a great deal, and I have had many good discussions with John Campbell, Rosalind Hursthouse, and Gavin
Lawrence.
Finally, I am extraordinarily grateful to Peter Momtchiloff at the Oxford University Press for his unfailing
encouragement and patience, and to Angela Blackburn, whose editing has saved me from many blunders.
PRF
Oxford, May 2000
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Contents
Introduction 1
1. A Fresh Start? 5
2. Natural Norms 25
3. Transition to Human Beings 38
4. Practical Rationality 52
5. Human Goodness 66
6. Happiness and Human Good 81
7. Immoralism 99
Postscript 116
Bibliography 117
Index 123