What does it mean for ethics to say, as Wittgenstein did, that philosophy “leaves everything as it is”?
Though clearly absorbed with ethical questions throughout his life and work, Wittgenstein's remarks about the subject do not easily lend themselves to summation or theorizing. Although many moral philosophers cite the influence or inspiration of Wittgenstein, there is little agreement about precisely what it means to do ethics in the light of Wittgenstein.
Ethics after Wittgenstein brings together an international cohort of leading scholars in the field to address this problem. The chapters advance a conception of philosophical ethics characterized by an attention to detail, meaning and importance which itself makes ethical demands on its practitioners. Working in conversation with literature and film, engaging deeply with anthropology and critical theory, and addressing contemporary problems from racialized sexual violence against women to the Islamic State, these contributors reclaim Wittgenstein's legacy as an indispensable resource for contemporary ethics.
Preface Introduction: Doing Ethics after Wittgenstein, Richard Amesbury and Hartmut von Sass Part I. Ethics and Wittgenstein 1. Ethics as We Talk It, Lars Hertzberg 2. Wittgenstein, Ethics and Fieldwork in Philosophy, Nora Hämäläinen 3. The Texture of Importance: Ethics after Cavell and Diamond, Sandra Laugier Part II. Wittgenstein, Ethics, and Meta-Ethics 4. Three Wittgensteinian Interventions in Current Meta-Ethical Debates, Julia Hermann 5. Wittgensteinian Anti-Anti Realism – One ‘Anti’ Too Many?, Hans-Johann Glock 6. Wittgenstein and Moral Realism: The Debate Continues, Sabina Lovibond 7. Does It Pay to be Good?On D.Z. Phillips Having a Theory about Not Having a Theory in Ethics, Hartmut von Sass Part III. After Wittgenstein 8. “A Certain Purity of Attention to the World”:The Ethical Demands of Wittgensteinian Philosophizing, Mikel Burley 9. Wittgenstein and Political Theology: Law, Decision, and the Self, Richard Amesbury 10. Wittgenstein Does Critical Theory, Alice Crary List of Contributors Index
Richard Amesbury is Professor and Director of the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies at Arizona State University, USA. Hartmut von Sass is Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy of Religion and Heisenberg Scholar at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany.
Reviews for Ethics after Wittgenstein: Contemplation and Critique
An enormously stimulating and valuable collection. The wide-ranging contributions bring out how philosophers, drawing on Wittgenstein's thought, can open up new directions for exploration in ethics. * Cora Diamond, University Professor and Kenan Professor of Philosophy, Emerita, University of Virginia, USA *
