Moral Reality [Paperback]

We typically assume that the standard for what is beautiful lies in the eye of the beholder. Yet this is not the case when we consider morality; what we deem morally good is not usually a matter of opinion. Such thoughts push us toward being realists about moral properties, but a cogent theory of moral realism has long been an elusive philosophical goal.

Paul Bloomfield here offers a rigorous defense of moral realism, developing an ontology for morality that models the property of being morally good on the property of being physically healthy. The model is assembled systematically; it first presents the metaphysics of healthiness and goodness, then explains our epistemic access to properties such as these, adds a complementary analysis of the semantics and syntax of moral discourse, and finishes with a discussion of how we become motivated to act morally. Bloomfield closely attends to the traditional challenges facing moral realism, and the discussion nimbly ranges from modern medical theory to ancient theories of virtue, and from animal navigation to the nature of normativity.

Maintaining a highly readable style throughout,Moral Realityyields one of the most compelling theories of moral realism to date and will appeal to philosophers working on issues in metaphysics or moral philosophy.

[P]resents a clear, elegant, and enjoyable argument in favor of moral realism. Anybody with serious interest in metaethics should read it, if only to familiarize themselves with a strain of realist argument that is likely to be influential in future debates. --Mind

The difference between being good and bad, Bloomfield argues, is in many ways like the difference between being healthy and unhealthy. You may not care about either difference, but that does not make the differences any less real. An engaging, original, uncompromising, and ultimately pretty convincing defense of moral realism. --David Schmidtz, University of Arizona

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