Abstract

The somewhat obscure title of this issue, “Ethics and the Modern World,” is meant to reflect the interests which, during the past decade, have captivated so many of our colleagues in the field of moral philosophy. Some believe that focussing philosophical attention on moral issues which occur characteristically in professional and public policy contexts restores both vigor and relevance to moral philosophy. Others disagree, for a variety of reasons. There are opponents of the kind of philosophical work which has come to be called “applied ethics” who fear that, by emphasizing the differential characteristics of various professional and public policy situations, we unreflectively commit ourselves to an unjustified and inappropriate relativism. There are others who do not categorically oppose doing applied ethics, but who contend that far too much existing work in applied ethics contributes little philosophical illumination, or none at all.