Ethics
A Beginner's Guide
1st Edition
Published on 5. February 2015
256 pages
978-1-78074-577-0 (ISBN)
Description
Should we aim to maximize happiness? Are there characteristics that we should foster within ourselves? Why is it important to act morally? From the ancient Greeks to Sartre, from utilitarianism to the categorical imperative, Ethics: A Beginner's Guide presents this vital topic of philosophy via its most influential thinkers and theories.
With characteristic wit, philosopher Peter Cave steers us around well known and not-so-well known ethical traps - in the private sphere, in community life, and in relation to God and religion.
As well as a guide to ongoing theoretical debates, Cave shows how the discipline helps us to confront topical controversies including those of the environment, abortion, and animal welfare. For anyone who questions how we ought to live, there is no better introduction to ethics and how it relates to twenty-first-century society.
With characteristic wit, philosopher Peter Cave steers us around well known and not-so-well known ethical traps - in the private sphere, in community life, and in relation to God and religion.
As well as a guide to ongoing theoretical debates, Cave shows how the discipline helps us to confront topical controversies including those of the environment, abortion, and animal welfare. For anyone who questions how we ought to live, there is no better introduction to ethics and how it relates to twenty-first-century society.
Reviews / Votes
"Rich, comprehensive and provocative, with illustrative examples that are original and stimulating... altogether a fine and authoritative introduction to the subject." -- Michael Clark - Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Nottingham "A must-read. It is thorough and complete, yet always accessible and entertaining, written in Cave's signature sharp style. No matter what your background, this book will inform and challenge you - just as moral philosophizing should." -- Andrew Pessin - Professor of Philosophy, Connecticut College "Readable and entertaining... With characteristic verve, Peter Cave surveys a wide range of topics and challenges readers to think their way through complex moral problems. For those seeking to make sense of life's dilemmas, as well as for students enrolled in philosophy courses, this is an ideal guide." -- Dan Cohn-Sherbok - Professor Emeritus of Judaism, University of Wales "A clear, comprehensive, and witty tour of the terrain." -- William Irwin - Professor of Philosophy, King's College Pennsylvania "Lucid, witty, erudite, and wise. This is more than a brilliant survey of ethical theories: it is an invitation to reflect on your life and to challenge your own settled views." -- Raymond Tallis - author and philosopher "An excellent primer. Highly recommended!" -- A. C. GraylingMore details
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Book
02/2015
Oneworld Publications
€13.00
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Person
Peter Cave lectures in philosophy for The Open University and New York University (London). He is the author of eight books on philosophy, making it accessible to a wide audience, including the bestselling Can a Robot be Human?: 33 Perplexing Philosophy Puzzles.
Content
- Intro
- 1 How ought we to live?
- 2 Utilitarianism: maximizing happiness
- 3 Deontology: 'I must not tell a lie'
- 4 Virtue ethics: a flourishing life
- 5 God: dead or alive?
- 6 Existentialism: freedom and responsibility
- 7 Morality: just an illusion?
- 8 Applying ethics: life and death dilemmas
- 9 No man is an island: from community to ecology
- 10 'For every foot, its own shoe'
- Epilogue: 'Buddy, can you spare a dime?'
- Notes and further reading
- Acknowledgements
