The Oxford Handbook of Ethical Theory is a major new reference work in ethical theory consisting of commissioned essays by leading moral philosophers. Ethical theories have always been of central importance to philosophy, and remain so; ethical theory is one of the most active areas of philosophical research and teaching today. Courses in ethics are taught in colleges and universities at all levels, and ethical theory is the organizing principle for all of them.

The Handbook is divided into two parts, mirroring the field. The first part treats meta-ethical theory, which deals with theoretical questions about morality and moral judgment, including questions about moral language, the epistemology of moral belief, the truth aptness of moral claims, and so forth. The second part addresses normative theory, which deals with general moral issues, including the plausibility of various ethical theories and abstract principles of behavior. Examples of such theories are consequentialism and virtue theory. As with other Oxford Handbooks, the twenty-five contributors cover the field in a comprehensive and highly accessible way, while achieving three goals: exposition of central ideas, criticism of other approaches, and putting forth a distinct viewpoint.

牛津大学伦理学理论手册》是伦理学理论方面的一部重要的新参考书，由领先的道德哲学家委托撰写的文章组成。伦理理论一直是哲学的核心要义，现在也是如此；伦理理论是当今哲学研究和教学中最活跃的领域之一。各级学院和大学都开设了伦理学课程，而伦理理论是所有课程的组织原则。

本手册分为两部分，反映了该领域的情况。第一部分处理元伦理学理论，它涉及有关道德和道德判断的理论问题，包括有关道德语言、道德信仰的认识论、道德主张的真理性等问题。第二部分涉及规范性理论，它涉及一般的道德问题，包括各种道德理论和抽象的行为原则的合理性。这类理论的例子有后果主义和美德理论。与其他牛津手册一样，二十五位作者以全面和高度易懂的方式涵盖了这一领域，同时实现了三个目标：阐述中心思想，批评其他方法，以及提出独特的观点。