Ethics And Mythology

‘Early Faulkner criticism often followed the trajectory of Faulkner’s life, sometimes simply assuming that life had a moral compass. Later schools, for example historical materialism, sought the ‘substratum’ of material reality that underpinned the narrative, again only assuming that issues, such as the nature and economics of labor, had moral implications. Psychology, anthropology, mythology—all have had their day, often very useful days, often touching on ethical issues—but what has been lacking is ethics itself.

Mary Midgley is one of the most important moral philosophers working today. Over the last thirty years, her writings have informed debates concerning animals, the environment and evolutionary theory. The invited essays in this volume offer critical reflections upon Midgley’s work and further developments of her ideas.