This collection of essays explores the area of ethics in relation to issues such as the nature of moral endeavour and the request for a justification of moral endeavour. Professor Phillips considers the work of Thomas Nagel and Peter Winch in this book.

On morality's having a point; moral practices and Anscombe's grocer; the possibilities of moral advice; after virtue; the presumption of theory; what can we expect from ethics?; not in front of the children - children and the hetrogenity of morals; does it pay to be good?; in search of the moral "must" - Mrs Foot's fugitive thought; do moral considerations override others?; an argument from extreme cases?; morality and purpose; how lucky can you get?; some limits to moral endeavour; self-knowledge and pessimism; my neighbour and my neighbours; philosophy and the heterogeneity of the human; necessary reward, necesary punishment and character.