The Moral Philosophy of Iris Murdoch

Mark Hopwood (The University of the South, Sewanee, USA)

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English

Routledge
30 April 2025

Philosophy of language; Philosophy; Philosophy: metaphysics & ontology; Ethics & moral philosophy; History of ideas

Series: Routledge Studies in Ethics and Moral Theory

The moral philosopher and novelist Iris Murdoch said that philosophy “is both the guide and mirror of the age”. In this wide-ranging book Mark Hopwood explores the significance of Murdoch's philosophy in the present day, paying particular attention to her account of the role of metaphor and imagery in moral reasoning. Hopwood argues that one of the main reasons Murdoch's work has often been neglected by mainstream moral philosophers is that she offered a radically different conception of what it means to do moral philosophy. Rather than seeking to establish a single systematic moral framework in the manner of utilitarian or Kantian theories, she argued that moral philosophers ought to be concerned with describing the varied range of moral concepts that we actually use in everyday life and elaborating new concepts and modes of understanding to meet our most pressing social needs.

Examining the role of vision, imagination, love, goodness, and transcendence in Murdoch's work, The Moral Philosophy of Iris Murdoch presents a compelling and original argument that she is one of the major moral philosophers of the twentieth century.

By: Mark Hopwood (The University of the South Sewanee USA)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9780367819576
ISBN 10: 0367819570
Series: Routledge Studies in Ethics and Moral Theory
Pages: 184
Publication Date: 30 April 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction 1. The Standard Picture of Moral Philosophy 2. What Should a Philosophical Study of Morals be Like? 3. The Paradox of Form 4. Reading The Sovereignty of Good 5. Love, Morals, and Moral Philosophy 6. The Ontological Proof Conclusion. Bibliography Index

Mark Hopwood is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at The University of the South, Sewanee, USA. He has published articles on a range of topics in moral philosophy, including love, narcissism, hypocrisy, and the nature of moral judgment. With Silvia Caprioglio Panizza he is editor of The Murdochian Mind, also available from Routledge.

Reviews for The Moral Philosophy of Iris Murdoch

'This is a beautifully lucid and compelling piece of philosophical exegesis and writing. By paying close attention to what Murdoch actually says, Hopwood succeeds in lighting a path through Murdoch’s entire corpus, revealing deep continuities in her thought and method.' - Clare Mac Cumhaill, Durham University, UK