Moral Philosophy: A Contemporary Introduction – Second Edition

Moral Philosophy: A Contemporary Introduction is a compact yet comprehensive book offering an explication and critique of the major theories that have shaped philosophical ethics. DeNicola explores the scope, limits, and requirements of morality, outlining our various attempts to ground it: in religion, in nature, in culture, in social contracts, and in aspects of the human person such as reason, emotions, caring, and intuition. Discussion questions, suggested readings, and a glossary are included to facilitate deeper engagement.

This second edition includes a new chapter discussing existentialist and postmodernist ethics as well as standpoint theory and intersectionality. This chapter examines the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jacques Derrida, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and others. Other chapters are also revised and expanded: several new case studies have been added, as have discussions of effective altruism, universalist care ethics, and the views of Charles Mills and Carole Pateman.