Tradition in the Ethics of Alasdair MacIntyre Relativism, Thomism, and Philosophy

Tradition in the Ethics of Alasdair MacIntyre presents a stimulating intellectual history and expertly reasoned defense of this towering figure in contemporary American philosophy. Drawing on interviews and published works, Christopher Lutz traces MacIntyres philosophical development and refutes the criticisms of the major thinkers--including Martha Nussbaum and Thomas Nagel--who have most vocally attacked him. Permanently shifting the debate on MacIntyres oeuvre, Lutz convincingly demonstrates how MacIntyres neo-Aristotelian ethical thought provides an essential corrective to the contemporary discussions of relativism and ideology, while successfully drawing on the objectivity of Thomistic natural law.

Christopher Stephen Lutz teaches philosophy at Saint Meinrad School of Theology.