Reviews
"The best discussion-generating book I have ever used, full of wonderfully thought-provoking essays."--Adam Briggle, University of North Texas"One of the most compelling collections of original source materials for introductory level ethics I've come across, and I suggest that--although it can stand alone as a course resource--it be paired with selections from The Fundamentals of Ethics for maximum impact with students."--Kelly Heuer, Georgetown University"This is a wonderful book. It has a balanced selection of classical and contemporary readings in normative ethics, metaethics, and ethical issues. Each selection is of manageable length to cover in a single class period. Shafer-Landau includes interesting, unusual selections (licensing parents, gay sex) as well as classic pieces (Aristotle, Mill, Kant, and Thomson, for instance)."--Richard Lee, University of Arkansas"This is a very solid anthology for introductory-level ethics classes. It's comparable to Rachels in overall style and analytic approach, but with more personable examples and a sharper division between value theory and normative ethics."--Deke Gould, Augustana College, Black Hawk College, Illinois Valley Community College, and Syracuse University"This is a concise book with breadth. It contains short readings without sacrificing depth. It's cheaper than Rachels' The Right Thing to Do. It's pedagogically effective, without the overwhelming pedagogical devices of MacKinnon's Ethics. It's edited by a major contributor in contemporary ethics. It's a high-quality book with a low price. It's an encyclopedic pocket book. I will adopt it."--Fidel Arnecillo, California State University,San Bernardino"A solid collection of essays including a great range of topics and thinkers, covering normative ethics, metaethics, and applied ethics, all at a great price."--Charles Comer, Harrisburg Area Community College, "The best discussion-generating book I have ever used, full of wonderfully thought-provoking essays."--Adam Briggle, University of North Texas"One of the most compelling collections of original source materials for introductory level ethics I've come across, and I suggest that--although it can stand alone as a course resource--it be paired with selections from The Fundamentals of Ethics for maximum impact with students."--Kelly Heuer, Georgetown University"This is a wonderful book. It has a balanced selection of classical and contemporary readings in normative ethics, metaethics, and ethical issues. Each selection is of manageable length to cover in a single class period. Shafer-Landau includes interesting, unusual selections (licensing parents, gay sex) as well as classic pieces (Aristotle, Mill, Kant, and Thomson, for instance)."--Richard Lee, University of Arkansas"This is a very solid anthology for introductory-level ethics classes. It's comparable to Rachels in overall style and analytic approach, but with more personable examples and a sharper division between value theory and normative ethics."--Deke Gould, Augustana College, Black Hawk College, Illinois Valley Community College, and Syracuse University"This is a concise book with breadth. It contains short readings without sacrificing depth. It's cheaper than Rachels' The Right Thing to Do. It's pedagogically effective, without the overwhelming pedagogical devices of MacKinnon's Ethics. It's edited by a major contributor in contemporary ethics. It's a high-quality book with a low price. It's an encyclopedic pocket book. I will adopt it."--Fidel Arnecillo, California State University, San Bernardino"A solid collection of essays including a great range of topics and thinkers, covering normative ethics, metaethics, and applied ethics, all at a great price."--Charles Comer, Harrisburg Area Community College, "The best discussion-generating book I have ever used, full of wonderfully thought-provoking essays."--Adam Briggle, University of North Texas "One of the most compelling collections of original source materials for introductory level ethics I've come across, and I suggest that--although it can stand alone as a course resource--it be paired with selections from The Fundamentals of Ethics for maximum impact with students."--Kelly Heuer, Georgetown University "This is a wonderful book. It has a balanced selection of classical and contemporary readings in normative ethics, metaethics, and ethical issues. Each selection is of manageable length to cover in a single class period. Shafer-Landau includes interesting, unusual selections (licensing parents, gay sex) as well as classic pieces (Aristotle, Mill, Kant, and Thomson, for instance)."--Richard Lee, University of Arkansas "This is a very solid anthology for introductory-level ethics classes. It's comparable to Rachels in overall style and analytic approach, but with more personable examples and a sharper division between value theory and normative ethics."--Deke Gould, Augustana College, Black Hawk College, Illinois Valley Community College, and Syracuse University "This is a concise book with breadth. It contains short readings without sacrificing depth. It's cheaper than Rachels' The Right Thing to Do. It's pedagogically effective, without the overwhelming pedagogical devices of MacKinnon's Ethics. It's edited by a major contributor in contemporary ethics. It's a high-quality book with a low price. It's an encyclopedic pocket book. I will adopt it."--Fidel Arnecillo, California State University, San Bernardino "A solid collection of essays including a great range of topics and thinkers, covering normative ethics, metaethics, and applied ethics, all at a great price."--Charles Comer, Harrisburg Area Community College
Table of Content
*=New to this EditionINTRODUCTIONPART I. THE GOOD LIFE1. Epicurus, Letter to Menoeceus2. John Stuart Mill, Hedonism3. Robert Nozick, The Experience Machine* 4. Chris Heathwood, Faring Well and Getting What You Want5. Jean Kazez, NecessitiesPART II. NORMATIVE ETHICS: Theories of Right Conduct6. Plato, Euthyphro7. Philippa Foot, Natural Goodness8. J.J.C. Smart, Extreme and Restricted Utilitarianism9. Immanuel Kant, The Good Will and the Categorical Imperative10. Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan11. W.D. Ross, What Makes Right Acts Right?12. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics13. Hilde Lindemann, What Is Feminist Ethics?PART III. METAETHICS: The Status of Morality14. David Hume, Moral Distinctions Not Derived from Reason15. A.J. Ayer A Critique of Ethics16. J.L. Mackie, The Subjectivity of Values17. Harry Gensler, Cultural Relativism* 18. David Enoch, Why I Am an Objectivist about Ethics (And Why You Are, Too)PART IV. MORAL PROBLEMS19. John Corvino, Why Shouldn't Tommy and Jimmy Have Sex? A Defense of Homosexuality* Poverty and Hunger20. Peter Singer, The Singer Solution to World Poverty* 21. Jan Narveson, Feeding the HungryEuthanasia and A Modest Proposal22. James Rachels, The Morality of Euthanasia23. John Harris, The Survival LotteryTerrorism and Torture24. Michael Walzer, Terrorism: A Critique of Excuses25. Alan Dershowitz, Should the Ticking Bomb Terrorist be Tortured?The Moral Status of Animals26. Alastair Norcross, Puppies, Pigs, and People: Eating Meat and Marginal Cases* 27. R.G. Frey, Moral Standing, The Value of Lives, and SpeciesismThe Environment28. Paul Taylor, The Ethics of Respect for Nature29. Thomas Hill, Jr., Ideals of Human Excellence and Preserving Natural EnvironmentsAbortion30. Judith Jarvis Thomson, A Defense of Abortion31. Don Marquism Why Abortion Is Immoral32. Philippa Foot, Abortion and the Doctrine of Double EffectThe Limits of the Law33. Igor Primoratz, Justifying Legal Punishment34. Stephen Nathanson, An Eye for an Eye?35. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham City Jail36. Michael Huemer, America's Unjust Drug War* Enhancing Human Beings* 37. Michael Sandel, The Case against Perfection* 38. Julian Savulescu, Genetic Interventions and the Ethics of Enhancement of Human Beings* Affirmative Action* 39. Louis Pojman, The Case against Affirmative Action* 40. Daniel Hausman, Affirmative Action: Bad Arguments and Some Good Ones
