In the Interests of Others

Are we morally required to act in the interests of others? Does our worth as persons depend in any way on our valuing the good of others? These questions, illustrative of those addressed in this book, concern the relevance of other-interested considerations - of facts about what is good or bad for others - to the moral status of persons and their actions. Pursuing answers to such questions is not only interesting and important in its own right, but also yields valuable insights into the nature of morality. A feature of this book is its treatment of the moral significance of other-interested considerations, of how these considerations are interrelated, and of where they should be located in more general moral theory.