Bernard Williams

Williams’ most important books are: Morality (1972), a concise introduction to moral philosophy which doubles as an introduction to Williams’ distinctive take on it, and to which he added a preface in 1993; Descartes: The Project of Pure Enquiry (1978), an influential study of Descartes that also includes some of Williams’ most important epistemological writings; Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy (1985), the locus classicus of Williams’ ideas in ethics; Shame and Necessity (1993), a book based on the 1989 Sather Lectures that showcases Williams’ abilities as a Classical scholar and examines what we can learn from comparing our modern ethical ideas with those of the ancient Greek world; and Truth and Truthfulness: An Essay in Genealogy (2002), a vindicatory genealogy of truthfulness – and in particular of the twin virtues of truth which Williams labels Accuracy and Sincerity – that also reflects on the genealogical method itself and on the connection of truthfulness to trust, historiography, authenticity, liberal politics, and sense-making. His contribution to Utilitarianism: For and Against (1973) is also among his most influential publications. Many of Williams’ key ideas are only to be found in his articles, however. Three anthologies – Problems of the Self (1973), Moral Luck (1981), and Making Sense of Humanity (1995) – were published during his lifetime. Three more – In the Beginning was the Deed: Realism and Morality in Political Argument (2005), The Sense of the Past: Essays in the History of Philosophy (2006), and Philosophy as a Humanistic Discipline (2006) – followed posthumously. The collections On Opera (2006) and Essays and Reviews: 1959–2002 (2014) contain many more occasional pieces that nevertheless also shed light on Williams’ views on such topics as pessimism and why philosophy needs history.