The Ethics of Social Roles

Alex Barber, The Open University,Sean Cordell, The Open University

Sean Cordell received his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Sheffield, and has since held posts at Sheffield, the University of Birmingham, and the Open University where he is currently Staff Tutor and Senior Lecturer. His research has developed from an in initial interest in neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics to include the nature of social institutions, their virtues and vices, and the roles they determine for individual agents.

Alex Barber received his doctorate from McGill University, Canada and currently Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the Open University, UK. He has cross disciplinary research interests, and within philosophy works mainly on ethical and political philosophy, especially on topics where his expertise in the philosophy of language and linguistics can be brought to bear.

1. An Overview of Social Roles and their Ethics, Alex Barber and Sean Cordell
PART ONE: HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS
2. Tempted Like Achilles: Reflections on Roles and Role-Recalcitrance in Ancient and Modern Ethics, Sophie Grace Chappell
3. Roles and Virtues: Which is More Important for Confucian Women?, Jing Iris Hu
4. John Dewey s Analysis of Moral Agency as Pragmatist Role Ethics, John Simons
5. A Good Doctor but a Bad Person? A Puzzle for Role Ethics from Løgstrup, Robert Stern
PART TWO: THE NATURE AND NORMATIVITY OF ROLES
6. All Together Now: When Is a Role Obligation Morally Binding?, Erin Taylor
7. The Part We Play: Social Group Membership as a Role, Tracy Isaacs
8. Explaining Role-Based Reasons, Reid Blackman
PART THREE: ROLES, INSTITUTIONS, AND ORGANIZATIONS
9. Role Ethics and the Functions of Institutions, Sean Cordell
10. Role Obligations to Alter Role Obligations, Stephanie Collins
11. Are the Obligations of Friendship Role Obligations?, Diane Jeske
12. My Job and its Requirements, Thomas H. Smith
PART FOUR: WELLBEING, SELFHOOD, AND ROLES
13. Three Relations between Roles and the Good, Samuel Clark
14. Participatory Wellbeing and Roles, Alex Barber
15. Virtuous Chameleons: Social Roles, Integrity, and the Value of Compartmentalisation, Luke Brunning