The Moral Philosophy of W. D. Ross Metaethics, Normative Ethics, Virtue, and Value

W. D. Ross is a major figure in the history of moral philosophy. In his 1930 masterpiece The Right and the Good, he gave the first sustained articulation and defense of a new position in moral theory: a moderate form of pluralistic deontology built around his most famous innovation, the concept of prima facie duty. Ross's theory of the good is also pluralistic and can be fruitfully contrasted both with Sidgwick's hedonism and with Moore's version of value pluralism. Ross is an exemplar of clear moral reflection, a defender of the irreducible plurality of common-sense moral standards, a powerful opponent of absolute certainty in moral matters, and an insightful critic of consequentialism. And as a great Aristotle scholar, he is able to clarify how practical wisdom informs moral deliberation and to portray, in illuminating detail, both virtue and virtuous action as paradigms of intrinsic value. The essays in this volume examine key aspects of Ross's moral theory: his concept of prima facie duty, his pluralistic theory of the right, his intuitionist epistemology, his pluralistic theory of the good, and his treatments of virtue and of aesthetic value. They will engage anyone interested in Ross's views on these topics or in the topics themselves.

Robert Audi, John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame,David Phillips, Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy, University of Houston

Robert Audi writes, lectures, and teaches in ethics and political philosophy, epistemology, and action theory. He has published books and papers in these and other areas. His OUP books include The Architecture of Reason (2001), Democratic Authority and the Separation of Church and State (2011), Rationality and Religious Commitment (2011), Means, Ends, and Persons (2015), and Rational Belief (2015). He is a past president of the American Philosophical Association, Editor-in-Chief of The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy (1995, 1999, and 2015), and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

David Phillips is Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Houston. He specializes in ethics; his research interests are primarily in the history of ethics, with a particular focus on British moral philosophers. He is the author of three books, all published by OUP: Sidgwick's The Methods of Ethics: A Guide (2022), Rossian Ethics: W.D. Ross and Contemporary Moral Theory (2019), and Sidgwickian Ethics (2011).

1. Introduction, Robert Audi and David PhillipsPart I. The General Structure of Ross's Ethical Theory2. Duty, Moral Knowledge, and Intrinsic Value in Rossian Intuitionism, Robert Audi3. The Prima Facie/Overall Duty Distinction: What is it? Where did it come from? Why does it Matter?, Roger Crisp4. Ross and the Foundations of Morality, Garrett Cullity5. The Ethical Theory of W.D. Ross, Brad HookerPart II. Ross's Normative Ethics6. Can Sidgwick and Ross Converge in Moral Theory?, David Phillips7. Prima Facie Duties, Real-world Contexts, and Moral Emotions, Sabine Roeser8. Ross's Explanatory Resources, David Kaspar9. Ross and the Problem of Permissibility, Philip Stratton-LakePart III. Ross on Virtue and Vice10. Ross on Virtue and Vice, Thomas Hurka and Bowen Chan11. Ross and the Ethics of Virtue, Natasza Szutta and Artur SzuttaPart IV. Ross on Value12. Ross and Aesthetic Value, Gwen Bradford13. On the Value of Intellectual and Aesthetic Activity: A Reply to Ross, Nandi Theunissen14. Hierarchy and Heterarchy in Ross's Theories of the Right and the Good, Anthony Skelton