Ethics

Part of the "Teach Yourself" series, this book offers a thorough grounding for those who want to do further study in ethics or philosophy or who are concerned with professional ethics in the fields of law, medicine or business. This volume introduces some of the main ethical theories, and looks at the contribution of many thinkers, both ancient and modern, including Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Kant, Nietzsche, Ayer and Rawls. It studies moral choices - the values that lie behind them, the reasons people give for them and the language they use to describe them. As well as a comprehensive historical survey of the subject, this book: systematically explores important moral issues, such as whether people are free to choose what to do and what is meant by moral choice; studies important areas of moral thought, such as personal relationships, law and order and global issues; and sets debates in contemporary contexts.