Part 1 Historical Highlights of the Moral Argument
Part 1
Historical Highlights
of the Moral Argument
In this first portion of the book, we hope to lay out, in all too cursory terms, a sketch of some of the highlights of the rich history of the moral argument.1 Many are aware of one or a few examples of luminaries from its history, but there were actually quite a few. For the sake of chronicling this abbreviated history, we divide the discussion into five periods: ancient Greek philosophy, medievalism from Augustine to Ockham, early modernity, late modernity, and the contemporary scene. In light of the range and diversity of figures to be covered, each chapter in this first section will feature an overview at the end.
1 We offer but thumbnail sketches of some of the major figures writing on the moral argument. For a more fulsome history, see David Baggett and Jerry L. Walls, The Moral Argument: A History (Oxford University Press, 2019).