Product Description: Thomas Hobbes was the first great English political philosopher. His work excited intense controversy among his contemporaries and continues to do so in our own time. In this masterly introduction to his work, Bernard Gert provides the first account of Hobbes’s political and moral philosophy that makes it clear why he is regarded as one of the best philosophers of all time in both of these fields...read more

For more than 30 years, philosopher Bernard Gert has been developing and refining his distinctive and comprehensive moral theory. His classic work on this subject was first published in 1970 as "The Moral Rules", and greatly revised editions appeared in 1975 and 1988 (the latter published by OUP under the title "Morality: a New Justification of the Moral Rules". Now, in this final revision, Gert has produced his fullest statement of this influential theoretical model. It differs from the previous edition in many important respects, and throughout the book, Gert attempts to answer all of the criticisms his work has attracted.

(view table of contents)

Product Description: How philosophical analysis can be used in developing policies to deal with the moral issue of new genetics.

Product Description: This book is the result of three years of discussions at Dartmouth College between philosophers, physicians, scientists, and specialists in dealing with the moral problems associated with genetic disabilities. This collaborative endeavor was made possible by a grant from the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) section of the Human Genome Project (HGP)...read more

This volume is a revised, enlarged, and broadened version of Gert's classic 1970 book, The Moral Rules. Advocating an approach he terms "morality as impartial rationality," Gert here presents a full discussion of his moral theory, adding a wealth of new illuminating detail to his analysis of the concepts--rationality/irrationality, good/evil, and impartiality--by which he defines morality. He constructs a "moral system" that includes rules prohibiting the kinds of actions that cause evil, procedures for determining when violation of the rules is permitted, and ideals which encourage actions that prevent or relieve suffering. To be valid, Gert argues, any such system must be "a public system that applies to all rational persons." The book concludes with a discussion of medical ethics, demonstrating the link between moral theory and its application to real moral problems.