Ethics and Morality

by Paul K Moser , Thomas L Carson , Language: English

Are all moral truths relative or do certain moral truths hold for all cultures and people? In Moral Relativism: A Reader, this and related questions are addressed by twenty-one contemporary moral philosophers and thinkers. This engaging and nontechnical anthology, the only up-to-date collection devoted solely to the topic of moral relativism, is accessible to a wide range of readers including undergraduate students from various disciplines. The selections are organized under six main topics: (1) General Issues; (2) Relativism and Moral Diversity; (3) On the Coherence of Moral Relativism; (4) Defense and Criticism; (5) Relativism, Realism, and Rationality; and (6) Case Study on Relativism.

by Jim Powell , Joe Lee , Language: English

Deconstruction is so labyrinthine (and rumored to be fatal) that it’s become the monster that murdered philosophy. When Jacques Derrida, the father of deconstruction, uses buzz-words such as "phallogocentrism" and "transcendental signified," humanities students and aspiring philosophers may get weak in the knees.Following up on the success of Derrida For Beginners, Jim Powell’s Deconstruction For Beginners is an irreverent romp through deconstructive domains. Though Powell offers lucid explanations of the most important deconstructive ideas and texts, he also dive into lesser known works.

by Robert Evans , Language: English

A LOOK AT VICE THROUGHOUT HISTORY… AND HOW YOU CAN RECREATE DEBAUCHERY AT HOME! A hilarious, fascinating and alternative history of bad behaviour, from an editor at Cracked.com. Part history lesson, part how-to guide, A BRIEF HISTORY OF VICE includes interviews with experts and original experimentation to bring readers a history of some of humanity’s most prominent vices, along with explanations for how each of them helped humans rise to the top of the food chain. Evans connects the dots between coffee and its Islamic origins, the drug ephedra and Mormons, music and Stonehenge and much more.

by Jeremy R Carrette , Language: English

Jeremy Carrette argues that the psychology of religion is no longer sustainable without a social critique, and that as William James predicted, the project of the modernist psychology of religion has failed. Controversially he champions greater social and philosophical analysis within the field to challenge the political naivety and disciplinary illusions of the traditional approaches to psychology of religion. Carrette discusses the relevance of the social and economic factors surrounding the debates of psychology and religion, through three critical examples: psychoanalysis humanistic psychology cognitive neuroscience.

by Brian Leiter , Language: English

Both an introduction to Nietzsche’s moral philosophy, and a sustained commentary on his most famous work, On the Genealogy of Morality, this book has become the most widely used and debated secondary source on these topics over the past dozen years. Many of Nietzsche’s most famous ideas – the "slave revolt" in morals, the attack on free will, perspectivism, "will to power" and the "ascetic ideal" – are clearly analyzed and explained. The first edition established the centrality of naturalism to Nietzsche’s philosophy, generating a substantial scholarly literature to which Leiter responds in an important new Postscript.

by Michael A Bishop , Language: English

Philosophers defend theories of what well-being is but ignore what psychologists have learned about it, while psychologists learn about well-being but lack a theory of what it is. In The Good Life, Michael Bishop brings together these complementary investigations and proposes a powerful, new theory for understanding well-being.The network theory holds that to have well-being is to be "stuck" in a self-perpetuating cycle of positive emotions, attitudes, traits and accomplishments. For someone with well-being, these states – states such as joy and contentment, optimism and adventurousness, extraversion and perseverance, strong relationships, professional success and good health – build upon and foster each other.

by James Lawrence Dreier , Language: English

Contemporary Debates in Moral Theory features pairs of newly commissioned essays by some of the leading theorists working in the field today. Brings together fresh debates on the most controversial issues in moral theory Questions include: Are moral requirements derived from reason?

by Tavis Smiley , Language: English

Stepping into your authentic life can be difficult, but rest assured you’re not the first one to walk this path . . .On these gorgeously illustrated pages, media mogul and social entrepreneur Tavis Smiley shares 50 nuggets of wisdom he’s gleaned while rising from humble roots to become a critically acclaimed host of television and radio, as well as an impactful philanthropist. Through his relationships with cultural luminaries such as Maya Angelou and Quincy Jones, and personal mentors such as Rosa Parks, Peter Jennings, and Smiley’s own sagacious grandmother "Big Mama"—not to mention the lumps he’s taken along the way—Smiley has learned how to avoid pitfalls like fear and convenience, and claim your best life.H

by M Gregory Kendrick , Language: English

The word "hero" seems in its present usage, an all-purpose moniker applied to everyone from Medal of Honor recipients to celebrities to comic book characters. This book explores the Western idea of the hero, from its initial use in ancient Greece, where it identified demigods or aristocratic, mortal warriors, through today. Sections examine the concept of the hero as presented in the ancient, medieval, and modern worlds. Special attention is paid to particular heroic types, such as warriors, martyrs, athletes, knights, saints, scientists, rebels, secret servicemen, and even anti-heroes.

by Nijay K Gupta , Language: English

This book explores the apostle Paul´s temple, priesthood, sacrificial, and worship language with a special interest in how metaphors are powerful vehicles for theological transformation. The methodology of this study combines perspectives from cognitive linguistics, the social-sciences, and rhetorical criticism. In the final synthesis, it is discovered that common factors among Paul ´s cultic metaphors include an interest in devotion to God, the significance of the body, and the potential for the reshaping of the mind and perception.

by Norvin Richards , Language: English

In The Ethics of Parenthood Norvin Richards explores the moral relationship between parents and children from slightly before the cradle to slightly before the grave. Richards maintains that biological parents do ordinarily have a right to raise their children, not as a property right but as an instance of our general right to continue whatever we have begun. The contention is that creating a child is a first act of parenthood, hence it ordinarily carries a right to continue as parent to that child.

by Gregory E Pence , Language: English

What is the real-world history and science of human cloning, and how closely does Orphan Black nail it?Can you "own" a person—even a cloned one?How can Sarah Manning be straight, Cosima gay, and Tony trans?Cult hit sci-fi show Orphan Black doesn’t just entertain—it also raises fascinating questions about human cloning, its ethics, and its impact on personal identity.In What We Talk About When We Talk About Clone Club: Bioethics and Philosophy in Orphan Black, prominent bioethicist Gregory E.

by Jason W Kotecki , Language: English

Life is supposed to be fun. We knew this instinctively as kids, but somehow forgot on the way to adulthood. We got busy and overwhelmed, started valuing things that don't matter, and learned to follow the rules that don't even exist:hate mondaysonly celebrate when the calendar gives you permissiondon't make a messdon't play hookyhide your weirdnesshide your wrinklescare what other people thinkFollowing these so-called rules is a terrific way to stress you out, sap your energy, and ensure a boring life.

by Jacques P Thiroux , Language: English

Using a clear, jargon-free style and a flexible organization, this book introduces readers with little or no background in philosophy or ethics to traditional and contemporary ethical theory.Through an abundance of examples and case studies, it shows them how to set up their own systematic, rational ethics and how to apply ethical theories to traditional and contemporary moral issues.

by Rosalind Hursthouse , Language: English

This introductory textbook is ideally suited to newcomers to philosophy and ethical problems.Rosalind Hursthouse carefully introduces the three standard approaches in current ethical theory: utilitarianism, rights, and virtue ethics. She links each chapter to readings from key exponents such as Peter Singer and Mary Midgley and asks students to think critically about these readings for themselves.Key features include clear activities and activities, chapter summaries and guides to further reading.

by Heidi M Ravven , Language: English

Few concepts are more unshakable in our culture than "free will," the idea that individuals are fundamentally in control of the decisions they make, good or bad. And yet the latest research about how the brain functions seems to point in the opposite direction, with fresh discoveries indicating the many ways in which humans are subject to influences well beyond the control of the conscious self. In The Self Beyond Itself, acclaimed scholar Heidi M. Ravven offers a wide-ranging and bold argument for a new vision of ethics, one that takes into account neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology, challenging the ways in which we view our actions—and, indeed, our selves.I

by Sharif M Abdullah , Language: English

The world is a mess. The privileged few prosper. The masses suffer. And everyone feels spiritually empty. Most people would blame capitalism, racism, or some other "ism". But according to Sharif M. Abdullah, the problem is not ideology. It’s exclusivity – our desire to stay separate from other people.In Creating a World That Works for All, Abdullah takes a look at the mess we live in – and presents a way out. To restore balance to the earth and build community, he says, people must stop blaming others, embrace inclusivity, and become "menders".

by Fiona Woollard , Language: English

Doing harm seems much harder to justify than merely allowing harm. If a boulder is rushing towards Bob, you may refuse to save Bob’s life by driving your car into the path of the boulder if doing so would cost you your own life. You may not push the boulder towards Bob to save your own life. This principle–the Doctrine of Doing and Allowing–requires defence. Does the distinction between doing and allowing fall apart under scrutiny? When lives are at stake, how can it matter whether harm is done or allowed? Drawing on detailed analysis of the distinction between doing and allowing, Fiona Woollard argues that the Doctrine of Doing and Allowing is best understood as a principle that protects us from harmful imposition.

by T D J Chappell , Language: English

Timothy Chappell develops a picture of what philosophical ethics can be like, once set aside from the idealising and reductive pressures of conventional moral theory. His question is ‘How are we to know what to do?’, and the answer he defends is ‘By developing our moral imaginations’. The series of studies presented in Knowing What To Do contribute to the case that the moral imagination is a key part of human excellence or virtue by showing that it plays a wide variety of roles in our practical and evaluative lives.

by Roger Teichmann , Language: English

At the centre of our ethical thought stands the human being. Facts about human nature determine the shape of ethical concepts in a variety of ways, and our pre-rational animal nature forms the basis of notions to do with rationality, virtue, and happiness, among other things. Nature, Reason, and the Good Life examines these themes while also arguing for the critical importance of language: only by attending to the social and empirical character of actual language use can we make headway with a number of problems in ethics.

by Eric Thomas Weber , Language: English

In Morality, Leadership, and Public Policy, Eric Weber argues for an experimentalist approach to moral theory in addressing practical problems in public policy. The experimentalist approach begins moral inquiry by examining public problems and then makes use of the tools of philosophy and intelligent inquiry to alleviate them. Part I surveys the uses of practical philosophy and answers criticisms – including religious challenges – of the approach, presenting a number of areas in which philosophers’ intellectual efforts can prove valuable for resolving public conflicts.

by Frederick Rauscher , Language: English

In this comprehensive assessment of Kant’s metaethics, Frederick Rauscher shows that Kant is a moral idealist rather than a moral realist and argues that Kant’s ethics does not require metaphysical commitments that go beyond nature. Rauscher frames the argument in the context of Kant’s non-naturalistic philosophical method and the character of practical reason as action-oriented. Reason operates entirely within nature, and apparently non-natural claims – God, free choice, and value – are shown to be heuristic and to reflect reason’s ordering of nature.

by Guy Fletcher , Michael Ridge , Language: English

A recent trend in metaethics has been to reject the apparent choice between pure cognitivism, where moral (and other normative) judgments are understood as representational or belief-like states, and pure non-cognitivism, where they are understood as non-representational or desire-like states. Rather, philosophers have adopted views which seek in some way to combine the strengths of each side while avoiding the standard problems for each. Some such views claim that moral judgments are complexes of belief-like and desire-like components.

by Bruce N Waller , Language: English

The philosophical commitment to moral responsibility seems unshakable. But, argues Bruce Waller, the philosophical belief in moral responsibility is much stronger than the philosophical arguments in favor of it. Philosophers have tried to make sense of moral responsibility for centuries, with mixed results. Most contemporary philosophers insist that even conclusive proof of determinism would not and should not result in doubts about moral responsibility. Many embrace compatibilist views, and propose an amazing variety of competing compatibilist arguments for saving moral responsibility.