The Elements of Moral Philosophy

I teach an ethics course that is required of Computer Science Students at an area University. One problem I have is that, before we get to dicuss social and ethical issues as they pertain to technology and society, the student have no clue about any of the basics of ethical thought. For my purposes, this book is a deity-send. It is NOT complete, but it sure does a good job giving the basics of how we structure ethical discussions and how (and in some cases why) our views of what's right and wrong have developed. My students groan the first day of class when they see they have a philosophy book at the beginning of the semester, but they quit complaining once they begin reading. Fosters lots of good discussion in my class. I would NOT recommend it to someone wanting to study moral philosophy in depth. But for a quick overview of major trends, and particularly in the case of my class where "what is ethics?" is only one part of the content we cover--very good. 5 stars because it teaches well.

This slim volume is an excellent introduction to ethics. It is geared to the layman, and is an eminently readable exposition of all the main schools of moral thought. Author Rachels presents each ethical theory, and then presents arguments favoring and opposing the concept. He also applies ethical theories to such concrete problems as abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, and civil disobedience. If you like mind challenging ideas than you will enjoy this book. At the least you will find that all is not as it seems in the world of moral behavior.

All of the main schools of thought are discussed including religious theories, cultural relativism, egoism and utilitarianism. It's an engrossing book that may easily change the way you think.

Consider cultural relativism. Is it always wrong to kill? Years ago it was found that nomadic Eskimos often killed newborn infants. A child requires breast nourishment for four years in the cold north, and is carried and sheltered in the mother's parka as the family constantly travels. It is not feasible for a mother to carry, protect, and feed two infants at one time. The entire group would face extinction if too many infants were allowed to grow. Are these Eskimos to be considered immoral?

If you have an open mind, this is a great opportunity to learn that ethical behavior is not as rigidly defined as you may have thought.

I use this book (in conjunction with _The Right Thing to Do_, edited by Rachels) as a text for an intro-level ethics course that I teach. I can't recommend it highly enough. Rachels is a sharp philosopher, as well as an interesting and lucid writer. In this book he covers all the basics (Divine Command Theory, Cultural Relativism, Subjectivism, Utilitarianism, Kant...), and does a fine job of drawing examples from applied ethics (gay rights, euthanasia, animal rights...) to illustrate the theories he discusses. This is not to suggest that you will find no fault with any of Rachels' arguments. I myself am less than satisfied with his criticisms of emotivism and Kantianism -- but all things considered, this a minor complaint. The book still deserves five stars. If you are teaching ethics at the college level and are looking for an introductory level text, suitable for students with no previous exposure to philosophy, this is the one -- I know of none better.

I read Rachels' text for a college course. Though I was somewhat familiar with the concepts therein, I found it to be a great source for the basics of modern western philosophy. Chapters cover egoism, utilitarianism, Kant's Categorical Imperative, religious morality and other well known philosophies.

An excellent first philosophy book. I find it hard to discuss certain things with people if they are not at least peripherally familiar with the concepts in this book. Highly recommended as a first text.

"The Elements of Moral Philosophy" is a fabulous, non-technical introduction to ethics. The writing is clear and historically informed, the main schools of thought are covered, and Rachels doesn't pretend that he's found all the answers to very difficult questions. I can't think of a better book for a college student who is new to philosophical ethics and wants to get a feel for how philosophers approach these issues.

I was struck by the handful of super-negative Amazon reviews. I suspect they were written by students who were forced to read the book for a class and either expected something else or were put off by Rachels' respectful but negative treatment of religious-based ethics. Ignore them.