Abstract

This dissertation is an examination of the moral philosophy of Iris Murdoch and Martha Nussbaum. The first two chapters treat Murdoch's and Nussbaum's respective discussions of their philosophical predecessors. Their critiques of previous thinkers as well as their theoretical allegiances provide a lens for examining their own work in the final two chapters. The conclusion summarizes important points and indicates directions for future thought, but its primary purpose is a comparative analysis of similarities between Murdoch's and Nussbaum's approach to moral philosophy. ;Murdoch is most notable for her criticism of the tendency of certain philosophers to focus on public conduct and free choice. She faults the thinkers against whom she stands for misdescribing the structure of moral life, and failing to recognize the foundational role of moral consciousness. Given her critique of contemporary ethical theory, it is not surprising that Murdoch identifies Plato as her philosopher of choice. Murdoch, like Plato, recognizes the significance of the objects to which consciousness attends, views knowledge of a reality which is external to the individual as of fundamental moral importance, and holds that good conduct is a function of understanding rather than choice. ;Prominent in Nussbaum's work in moral philosophy is her concern with moral luck and perception. The issue of whether chance occurrences can affect the moral goodness of one's life or character, and the related question of whether it is best to design human life so as to minimize vulnerability, guides her examination of Plato, Aristotle and the Greek tragedians. Moral philosophy's focus on rules is also an object of Nussbaum's critical analysis. She develops her conception of moral perception in order to make evident the shortcomings of the rule-based view of moral life. Two features of her analysis are most noteworthy: first, the role of perception in construing the presence of a moral claim, and secondly, the need for emotion in proper moral awareness and response. ;The general question motivating this dissertation is whether, through their critiques of the theoretical tradition and their own insight, Murdoch and Nussbaum advance the philosophical account of human goodness