ABSTRACT
A major theme in contemporary discussions of moral philosophy is dissatisfaction with the condition of ethical theory. Ethical theory can be characterized as the effort to develop general criteria for distinguishing correct from incorrect moral judgements, within an overall account of moral life and experience. Currently, the chief representatives of ethical theory are utilitarianism, Kantianism, and various forms of contractualism. These theories are found wanting both because they are believed to be excessively abstract and rationalistic, and because they are held incapable of providing a plausible account of the rich diversity of moral life. The objections to these theories are generalized so as to apply to ethical theory as such. Thus, ethical theory must be replaced and several alternatives to ethical theory have been ventured, 1
