A Short History of Ethics

Translated from the English by A. Lavrik, scientifically edited by A. Smirnov. – Moscow: Gaidar Institute Press, 2026. – 440 p.

ISBN 978-5-93255-701-3

A Short History of Ethics (1966) is Alasdair MacIntyre's seminal work, in which the history of moral philosophy is revealed as a dynamic process inextricably linked to changes in social life and public ideals. MacIntyre shows that moral concepts are not abstractions outside of time: they are formed in historical development – from Homer and the formation of ancient polis thought through the Middle Ages, the Modern Age, and up to 20th-century philosophy. The author analyzes the main traditions – Greek virtue, Christian ethics, Protestant and Enlightenment thought – highlighting internal disputes and the continuity of ideas.

Particular attention is paid to how moral concepts shift, change, and sometimes lose their connection to practice under the influence of cultural and social changes. MacIntyre emphasizes that the history of ethics is not a collection of great theories, but a living tradition of seeking answers to questions about the good, justice, and the meaning of human life. The book concludes with a practical challenge: the modern reader is faced with the task of critically reflecting on the diversity of moral experience in the past in order to develop adequate guidelines for the present.