European University Institute Library

From principles to practice, normativity and judgement in ethics and politics, Onora O'Neill Emerita

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

index present

non fiction

From principles to practice

bibliography

1031053291

Onora O'Neill Emerita

normativity and judgement in ethics and politics

Knowledge aims to fit the world, and action to change it. In this collection of essays, Onora O'Neill explores the relationship between these concepts and shows that principles are not enough for ethical thought or action: we also need to understand how practical judgement identifies ways of enacting them and of changing the way things are. Both ethical and technical judgement are supported, she contends, by bringing to bear multiple considerations, ranging from ethical principles to real-world constraints, and while we will never find practical algorithms - let alone ethical algorithms - that resolve moral and political issues, good practical judgement can bring abstract principles to bear in situations that call for action. Her essays thus challenge claims that all inquiry must use either the empirical methods of scientific inquiry or the interpretive methods of the humanities. They will appeal to a range of readers in moral and political philosophy.--, Provided by Publisher

Practical principles and relevant descriptions -- Modern moral philosophy and the problem of relevant descriptions -- Two cultures fifty years on -- Scientific inquiry and normative reasoning -- Abstract principles and practical judgement -- Abstraction, idealisation and ideology -- Normativity and practical judgement -- Instituting principles: between duty and action -- Experts, practitioners, and practical judgement -- Kant on indeterminacy, judgement, and interpretation -- Means, ends, and demands -- Reason and the resolution of disputes -- Consequences for non-consequentialists -- Demandingness and rules -- Applied ethics and practical judgement -- Applied ethics: naturalism, normativity, and public policy -- Practical principles and practical judgement in bioethics -- Enactable and enforceable: Kant's criteria for right and virtue