ANU School of Philosophy Professor Philip Pettit has recently launched his new book “The Birth of Ethics” based on The Berkeley Tanner Lectures he gave in 2014-15. In the book, Pettit examines the emergence and development of morality and ethical truth in a world dominated by scientific reasoning.

“The Birth of Ethics” is published by Oxford University Press.

Philip Pettit holds a joint position as Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy at the Australian National University as well as Professor of Politics and Human Values at Princeton University.

Born and raised in Ireland, he was a lecturer in University College, Dublin, a Research Fellow at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bradford, before moving in 1983 to the Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University; there he held a professorial position jointly in Social and Political Theory and Philosophy until 2002.

He works in moral and political theory. His recent single-authored books include The Common Mind, Republicanism, A Theory of Freedom, Rules, Reasons and Norms, Made with Words: Hobbes on Mind, Society and Politics; On the People's Terms: A Republican Theory and Model of Democracy, Just Freedom: A Moral Compass for a Complex World, and The Robust Demands of the Good: Ethics with Attachment, Virtue and Respect.

The great political theorist Professor Pettit also holds honorary professorships in Philosophy at Sydney University and Queen's University, Belfast and has been awarded honorary degrees by the National University of Ireland (Dublin), the University of Crete, Lund University, Universite de Montreal, Queen's University, Belfast and the University of Athens.

Philip’s Philosophy Bites interview on the Birth of Ethics: http://traffic.libsyn.com/philosophybites/Philip_Pettit_on_the_Birth_of_Ethics.mp3