'Foot stands out among contemporary ethical theorists because of her conviction that virtues and vices are more central ethical notions than rights, duties, justice, or consequences - the primary focus of most other contemporary theorists. This volume brings together a dozen essays published between 1957 and 1977, and includes two new ones as well. In the first, Foot argues explicitly for an ethic of virtue, and in the next five discusses abortion, euthanasia, free
will/determination, and the ethics of Hume and Nietzsche. The final eight essays chart her growing disenchantment with emotivism and prescriptivism and their account of moral arguments. All the essays embody to some extent her commitment to an ethics of virtue.... Foot's style is straightforward and
readable, her arguments subtle, ingenious, and some of them important.' Choice
'All in all, this collection of essays provides much to whet the moral philosopher's appetite.' International Philosophical Quarterly
Preface to 2002 Edition ix
Preface xi
Introduction xiii
Acknowledgements xvii
I Virtues and Vices 1
II The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of the Double Effect 19
III Euthanasia 33
IV Free Will as Involving Determinism 62
V Hume on Moral Judgement 74
VI Nietzsche: The Revaluation of Values 81
VII Moral Arguments 96
VIII Moral Beliefs 110
IX Goodness and Choice 132
X Reasons for Action and Desires 148
XI Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives 157
XII A Reply to Professor Frankena 174
XIII Are Moral Considerations Overriding? 181
XIV Approval and Disapproval 189
Index 209
