Having said that, if you are looking for a single introduction to moral philosophy, I would recommend Piers Benn's Ethics.


Empty and turgid   November 13, 2001
 2 out of 10 found this review helpful

... It is curious that this book is quite widely recommended as an introduction to moral philosophy. In fact Williams disguises the fact that he has nothing much interesting to say or anything new to add by a long-windedness and turgidity of style thought to make him sound philosophically respectable. (His sentences aren't that long -- they just take remarkable effort to get through.)

Williams is the typical example of someone created by the self-fulfilling world of academic philosophy. Indeed, if you want to read something by someone with a real passion for solving ethical problems, Plato would not be a bad start.


Don't let Williams put you off from getting into philosophy!   December 28, 2000
 4 out of 12 found this review helpful

Tthis book always appears on recommended reading lists for philosophy students.

It is however not the best introduction to philosophy. Williams is extremely opinionated and judgemental in what he writes, for example in his description of the amoralist, there is little foundation for what he writes about this individual except for what appears to be his own opinion which i don't think he's put much thinking into.

However, the faults of what Williams says lead me to make criticisms of it and in making my criticisms i developed my own points of view.

The book is difficult to read, and this is not because the concepts are hard to grasp, but because Williams' style is awkward. It's been coded to appear to contain wisdom, but it doesn't tell you anything new.

If you want to read about morality, and actually enjoy and gain something out of it get Plato's Republic, which is enlightening and extremely entertaining at the same time (what more could you ask for?).