Ethics in Practice
An Anthology
6th Edition
Published on 25. March 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
800 pages
978-1-394-21067-1 (ISBN)
Description
Praise for ETHICS in PRACTICE
"This new edition of Ethics in Practice offers a cornucopia of 72 expertly-edited texts - both canonical and contemporary - on a wonderfully wide selection of topics in moral theory and applied ethics. Students, teachers, and researchers will find in it a practically endless source of thought-provoking and conversation-sparking readings."
-STUART GREEN, Distinguished Professor of Law, Rutgers University
"Those of us who write and teach in practical ethics owe a debt of gratitude to Hugh LaFollette for assembling this superb collection of important contributions to the core theoretical questions and pressing contemporary issues in moral philosophy."
-CHRISTOPHER HEATH WELLMAN, Washington University in St. Louis
Ethics in Practice has guided students through the ethical dimensions of controversial debates for more than two decades, providing the knowledge required to confront difficult questions in various practical moral contexts. Now in its sixth edition, this field-defining textbook explores a wide range of global, local, and personal ethical issues while presenting the historical basis of key developments in ethical theory.
Editor Hugh LaFollette, highly regarded for his contributions in the field of practical ethics, critically integrates ethical theory with discussion of applied examples of economic injustice, discrimination, incarceration, genetic modification, gun control, torture, euthanasia, hate speech, and more. Throughout the book, student-friendly introductions clarify complex concepts and highlight the theoretical and practical aspects of each issue discussed.
This new edition is fully revised to reflect the latest empirical evidence and applications, including new and updated case studies, examples, data, and references. Entirely new essays address topics such as punishment, sentencing, assassination, the environment, epistemic vices, pragmatic ethics, biomedical technologies, and abortion in the post-Dobbs era.
"This new edition of Ethics in Practice offers a cornucopia of 72 expertly-edited texts - both canonical and contemporary - on a wonderfully wide selection of topics in moral theory and applied ethics. Students, teachers, and researchers will find in it a practically endless source of thought-provoking and conversation-sparking readings."
-STUART GREEN, Distinguished Professor of Law, Rutgers University
"Those of us who write and teach in practical ethics owe a debt of gratitude to Hugh LaFollette for assembling this superb collection of important contributions to the core theoretical questions and pressing contemporary issues in moral philosophy."
-CHRISTOPHER HEATH WELLMAN, Washington University in St. Louis
Ethics in Practice has guided students through the ethical dimensions of controversial debates for more than two decades, providing the knowledge required to confront difficult questions in various practical moral contexts. Now in its sixth edition, this field-defining textbook explores a wide range of global, local, and personal ethical issues while presenting the historical basis of key developments in ethical theory.
Editor Hugh LaFollette, highly regarded for his contributions in the field of practical ethics, critically integrates ethical theory with discussion of applied examples of economic injustice, discrimination, incarceration, genetic modification, gun control, torture, euthanasia, hate speech, and more. Throughout the book, student-friendly introductions clarify complex concepts and highlight the theoretical and practical aspects of each issue discussed.
This new edition is fully revised to reflect the latest empirical evidence and applications, including new and updated case studies, examples, data, and references. Entirely new essays address topics such as punishment, sentencing, assassination, the environment, epistemic vices, pragmatic ethics, biomedical technologies, and abortion in the post-Dobbs era.
More details
Series
Edition
6th edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
John Wiley & Sons Inc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 188 mm
Thickness: 46 mm
Weight
1134 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-394-21067-1 (9781394210671)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
03/2025
6th Edition
Wiley
€50.99
Available for download
E-Book
03/2025
6th Edition
Wiley
€50.99
Available for download
Previous edition
Book
04/2020
5th Edition
Wiley
€60.70
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
HUGH LAFOLLETTE is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Emeritus Cole Chair at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. He is the author of several books, most recently In Defense of Gun Control. He is the editor of numerous works, including the International Encyclopedia of Ethics and The Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory. He primarily works on diverse issues in practical and normative ethics.
Content
Preface for Instructors ix
Acknowledgments xi
General Introduction 1
Theorizing about Ethics 3
Reading Philosophy 12
Writing a Philosophy Paper 16
Basics of Argumentation 22
KEY: N - New to this edition; R - Revised for this edition; W - Written for EIP
Part I Theory 25
Ethical Theory 27
1 Consequentialism [W] 29
William H. Shaw
2 Deontology [W] 38
David McNaughton and Piers Rawling
3 Rights [W] 51
George W. Rainbolt
4 Virtue Theory [W] 60
Rosalind Hursthouse
5 Intellectual Vices [N & W] 70
Quassim Cassam
6 Pragmatic Ethics [N & R] 80
Hugh LaFollette
Part II Death, Life, and Moral Status 91
Euthanasia 93
7 Justifying Physician-Assisted Deaths [W] 96
Tom L. Beauchamp
7a My Death is Close at Hand. But I Do Not Think of Myself as Dying Washington Post Opinion (April 27, 2023) 104
By Paul Woodruff
8 Against the Right to Die 106
J. David Velleman
9 Physician-Assisted Deaths: Policy Choices 115
Ronald A. Lindsay
10 Dying at the Right Time: Reflections on (Un)assisted Suicide [W] 126
John Hardwig
11 'For Now Have I My Death': The 'Duty to Die' Versus the Duty to Help the Ill Stay Alive 138
Felicia Nimue Ackerman Copyrighted Material
Abortion 148
12 A Defense of Abortion 150
Judith Jarvis Thomson
13 On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion 158
Mary Anne Warren
14 An Argument that Abortion is Wrong [W] 168
Don Marquis
15 Virtue Theory and Abortion 178
Rosalind Hursthouse
16 Abortion, Post Dobbs: The Need for Public Reason [N & W] 187
Leonard M. Fleck
Animals 198
17 All Animals are Equal 201
Peter Singer
18 Moral Standing, the Value of Lives, and Speciesism 210
R. G. Frey
19 The Case for Animal Rights 221
Tom Regan
20 The Vegetarian Imperative [W] 227
Michael Allen Fox
Biomedical Technologies 237
21 Is Women's Labor a Commodity? 239
Elizabeth S. Anderson
22 Neural Implants and the TRICK to Autonomy [N & W] 250
Maximilian Kiener and Thomas Douglas
23 Should We Edit the Human Genome? [N & W] 259
Christopher Gyngell
24 Cognitive Enhancement [R] 272
Jonathan Pugh
Environment 285
25 The Value of Nature 287
Ronald Sandler
26 A Place for Cost-Benefit Analysis 296
David Schmidtz
27 Ideals of Human Excellence and Preserving Natural Environments 305
Thomas E. Hill, Jr.
28 A Perfect Moral Storm: Climate Change, Intergenerational Ethics, and the Problem of Moral Corruption 315
Stephen M. Gardiner
29 Greed: Past, Present, and Future [N & W] 326
Elaine E. Englehardt and Michael S. Pritchard
Part III Liberty and Equality 337
Paternalism and Risk 339
30 Freedom of Action 341
John Stuart Mill
31 Against the Legalization of Drugs 345
James Q. Wilson
32 Why We Should Decriminalize Drug Use [R] 350
Douglas Husak
33 The Liberal Basis of the Right to Bear Arms 359
Todd C. Hughes and Lester H. Hunt
34 Gun Control 370
Hugh LaFollette
Free Speech 382
35 Freedom of Thought and Discussion 385
John Stuart Mill
36 "The Price We Pay?" Pornography and Harm 389
Susan J. Brison
37 The Right to Get Turned On: Pornography, Autonomy, Equality 398
Andrew Altman
38 Sticks and Stones [W] 408
John Arthur
39 Speech Codes and Expressive Harm [W] 419
Andrew Altman
Discrimination 428
40 Racism as an Ethical Issue [W] 430
Michele Moody-Adams
41 Servility and Self-Respect 438
Thomas E. Hill, Jr.
42 Implicit Bias [R] 445
Alex Madva
43 Affirmative Action as Equalizing Opportunity: Challenging the Myth of "Preferential Treatment" [W] 454
Luke Charles Harris and Uma Narayan
44 Sexual Harassment: Formal Complaints Are Not Enough 465
Jennifer Saul
45 Men in Groups: Collective Responsibility for Rape 476
Larry May and Robert Strikwerda
46 Ideals of Respect: Identity, Dignity and Disability [W] 486
Adam Cureton
Conscience, State, and Religion Introduction 497
47 Resolving Conflicts Between Religious Liberty and Other Values 500
Mark R. Wicclair
48 Religious Conviction, Parental Authority, and Children's Interests [W] 511
Christopher Meyers
49 Gay Rights and Religious Accommodations [W] 521
Andrew Koppelman
50 Conscientious Objection in Health Care 530
Mark R. Wicclair
51 My Conscience May Be My Guide, But You May Not Need to Honor It 544
Hugh LaFollette
Part IV Justice 557
Punishment 559
52 Prolegomenon to the Principles of Punishment [N] 561
H. L. A. Hart
53 Does Punishment Work? [W & R] 574
John Paul Wright, Francis T. Cullen, and Kevin M. Beaver
54 Sentencing Pluralism [N & W] 585
Douglas Husak
55 Just Deserts in Unjust Societies: A Case-Specific Approach 592
Stuart P. Green
56 To Protect and Serve: What is Wrong with the Policing of Minorities in the US? 603
John Kleinig
Economic Justice 615
57 A Theory of Justice 617
John Rawls
58 The Entitlement Theory of Justice 629
Robert Nozick
59 The Ethical Implications of Benefiting from Injustice [W] 641
Daniel Butt
60 A Bleeding Heart Libertarian View of Inequality 650
Andrew Jason Cohen
Global Justice 663
61 Refugees and the Right to Control Immigration [W] 665
Christopher Heath Wellman
62 The Case for Open Immigration 673
Chandran Kukathas
63 Famine, Affluence, and Morality 683
Peter Singer
64 Famine Relief and the Ideal Moral Code [W] 692
John Arthur
65 Eradicating Systemic Poverty: Brief for a Global Resources Dividend 701
Thomas W. Pogge
War and Torture 714
66 War and Moral Consistency 716
Jonathan Parry
67 Pacifism: Reclaiming the Moral Presumption 728
William J. Hawk
68 The Justifiability of Humanitarian Intervention 738
Charles R. Beitz
69 Assassination [N & W] 746
Adrian O'Connor
70 Terrorism and Torture [R] 755
Fritz Allhoff
71 Unthinking the Ticking Time Bomb 768
David Luban
An Afterword 778
Hugh LaFollette
72 Moral Dilemmas and Moral Injury [N & W] 779
Paul Woodruff
Acknowledgments xi
General Introduction 1
Theorizing about Ethics 3
Reading Philosophy 12
Writing a Philosophy Paper 16
Basics of Argumentation 22
KEY: N - New to this edition; R - Revised for this edition; W - Written for EIP
Part I Theory 25
Ethical Theory 27
1 Consequentialism [W] 29
William H. Shaw
2 Deontology [W] 38
David McNaughton and Piers Rawling
3 Rights [W] 51
George W. Rainbolt
4 Virtue Theory [W] 60
Rosalind Hursthouse
5 Intellectual Vices [N & W] 70
Quassim Cassam
6 Pragmatic Ethics [N & R] 80
Hugh LaFollette
Part II Death, Life, and Moral Status 91
Euthanasia 93
7 Justifying Physician-Assisted Deaths [W] 96
Tom L. Beauchamp
7a My Death is Close at Hand. But I Do Not Think of Myself as Dying Washington Post Opinion (April 27, 2023) 104
By Paul Woodruff
8 Against the Right to Die 106
J. David Velleman
9 Physician-Assisted Deaths: Policy Choices 115
Ronald A. Lindsay
10 Dying at the Right Time: Reflections on (Un)assisted Suicide [W] 126
John Hardwig
11 'For Now Have I My Death': The 'Duty to Die' Versus the Duty to Help the Ill Stay Alive 138
Felicia Nimue Ackerman Copyrighted Material
Abortion 148
12 A Defense of Abortion 150
Judith Jarvis Thomson
13 On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion 158
Mary Anne Warren
14 An Argument that Abortion is Wrong [W] 168
Don Marquis
15 Virtue Theory and Abortion 178
Rosalind Hursthouse
16 Abortion, Post Dobbs: The Need for Public Reason [N & W] 187
Leonard M. Fleck
Animals 198
17 All Animals are Equal 201
Peter Singer
18 Moral Standing, the Value of Lives, and Speciesism 210
R. G. Frey
19 The Case for Animal Rights 221
Tom Regan
20 The Vegetarian Imperative [W] 227
Michael Allen Fox
Biomedical Technologies 237
21 Is Women's Labor a Commodity? 239
Elizabeth S. Anderson
22 Neural Implants and the TRICK to Autonomy [N & W] 250
Maximilian Kiener and Thomas Douglas
23 Should We Edit the Human Genome? [N & W] 259
Christopher Gyngell
24 Cognitive Enhancement [R] 272
Jonathan Pugh
Environment 285
25 The Value of Nature 287
Ronald Sandler
26 A Place for Cost-Benefit Analysis 296
David Schmidtz
27 Ideals of Human Excellence and Preserving Natural Environments 305
Thomas E. Hill, Jr.
28 A Perfect Moral Storm: Climate Change, Intergenerational Ethics, and the Problem of Moral Corruption 315
Stephen M. Gardiner
29 Greed: Past, Present, and Future [N & W] 326
Elaine E. Englehardt and Michael S. Pritchard
Part III Liberty and Equality 337
Paternalism and Risk 339
30 Freedom of Action 341
John Stuart Mill
31 Against the Legalization of Drugs 345
James Q. Wilson
32 Why We Should Decriminalize Drug Use [R] 350
Douglas Husak
33 The Liberal Basis of the Right to Bear Arms 359
Todd C. Hughes and Lester H. Hunt
34 Gun Control 370
Hugh LaFollette
Free Speech 382
35 Freedom of Thought and Discussion 385
John Stuart Mill
36 "The Price We Pay?" Pornography and Harm 389
Susan J. Brison
37 The Right to Get Turned On: Pornography, Autonomy, Equality 398
Andrew Altman
38 Sticks and Stones [W] 408
John Arthur
39 Speech Codes and Expressive Harm [W] 419
Andrew Altman
Discrimination 428
40 Racism as an Ethical Issue [W] 430
Michele Moody-Adams
41 Servility and Self-Respect 438
Thomas E. Hill, Jr.
42 Implicit Bias [R] 445
Alex Madva
43 Affirmative Action as Equalizing Opportunity: Challenging the Myth of "Preferential Treatment" [W] 454
Luke Charles Harris and Uma Narayan
44 Sexual Harassment: Formal Complaints Are Not Enough 465
Jennifer Saul
45 Men in Groups: Collective Responsibility for Rape 476
Larry May and Robert Strikwerda
46 Ideals of Respect: Identity, Dignity and Disability [W] 486
Adam Cureton
Conscience, State, and Religion Introduction 497
47 Resolving Conflicts Between Religious Liberty and Other Values 500
Mark R. Wicclair
48 Religious Conviction, Parental Authority, and Children's Interests [W] 511
Christopher Meyers
49 Gay Rights and Religious Accommodations [W] 521
Andrew Koppelman
50 Conscientious Objection in Health Care 530
Mark R. Wicclair
51 My Conscience May Be My Guide, But You May Not Need to Honor It 544
Hugh LaFollette
Part IV Justice 557
Punishment 559
52 Prolegomenon to the Principles of Punishment [N] 561
H. L. A. Hart
53 Does Punishment Work? [W & R] 574
John Paul Wright, Francis T. Cullen, and Kevin M. Beaver
54 Sentencing Pluralism [N & W] 585
Douglas Husak
55 Just Deserts in Unjust Societies: A Case-Specific Approach 592
Stuart P. Green
56 To Protect and Serve: What is Wrong with the Policing of Minorities in the US? 603
John Kleinig
Economic Justice 615
57 A Theory of Justice 617
John Rawls
58 The Entitlement Theory of Justice 629
Robert Nozick
59 The Ethical Implications of Benefiting from Injustice [W] 641
Daniel Butt
60 A Bleeding Heart Libertarian View of Inequality 650
Andrew Jason Cohen
Global Justice 663
61 Refugees and the Right to Control Immigration [W] 665
Christopher Heath Wellman
62 The Case for Open Immigration 673
Chandran Kukathas
63 Famine, Affluence, and Morality 683
Peter Singer
64 Famine Relief and the Ideal Moral Code [W] 692
John Arthur
65 Eradicating Systemic Poverty: Brief for a Global Resources Dividend 701
Thomas W. Pogge
War and Torture 714
66 War and Moral Consistency 716
Jonathan Parry
67 Pacifism: Reclaiming the Moral Presumption 728
William J. Hawk
68 The Justifiability of Humanitarian Intervention 738
Charles R. Beitz
69 Assassination [N & W] 746
Adrian O'Connor
70 Terrorism and Torture [R] 755
Fritz Allhoff
71 Unthinking the Ticking Time Bomb 768
David Luban
An Afterword 778
Hugh LaFollette
72 Moral Dilemmas and Moral Injury [N & W] 779
Paul Woodruff