Publication date:
05 January 2017Length of book:
312 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781442272552
Intended for use in the introduction to ethics course, The Good Life: Options in Ethics, Fifth Edition is designed to engage today's practical-minded student in more fundamental questions. The book ranges from ideals in living (the good) to contemporary moral problems (the right), exploring and analyzing both areas in order to stimulate deeper reflection.
The first section of the book clears away the obstacles to pursuing ethical understanding - relativism, determinism, and egoism. Then traditional definitions of the good life are discussed, theories such as hedonism, self-realization, duty, evolutionism, religious ethics, and virtue ethic. The final section addresses today's social problems including abortion, euthanasia, animal welfare, capital punishment, and sexual morality.
New to the Fifth Edition:
Chapter 6, Following Nature, has been eliminated, and its contents have been integrated into appropriate chapters
New section entitled Contemporary Moral Issues includes new chapters on:
Contraception and Abortion
Punishment and the Death Penalty
Sexual Ethics
The Natural Environment
Racism and Sexism
An Instructor's Manual and Test Bank now accompany the text
The first section of the book clears away the obstacles to pursuing ethical understanding - relativism, determinism, and egoism. Then traditional definitions of the good life are discussed, theories such as hedonism, self-realization, duty, evolutionism, religious ethics, and virtue ethic. The final section addresses today's social problems including abortion, euthanasia, animal welfare, capital punishment, and sexual morality.
New to the Fifth Edition:
Chapter 6, Following Nature, has been eliminated, and its contents have been integrated into appropriate chapters
New section entitled Contemporary Moral Issues includes new chapters on:
Contraception and Abortion
Punishment and the Death Penalty
Sexual Ethics
The Natural Environment
Racism and Sexism
An Instructor's Manual and Test Bank now accompany the text
“Much more than a standard text on normative theories, this book lends itself to a thorough introductory examination of the field of ethics. . . . In particular, the evaluation discussions are excellent, as they draw attention to problems in the theories and arguments in a way that aids in teaching students to craft arguments themselves. Too many students think it is sufficient to disagree. The evaluation sections help focus how to critically examine a theory.”