Applying Moral Theories

By C.E. Harris Jr.

Book Overview

Successfully shows students how to apply the most important moral theories to significant contemporary moral problems faced by individuals and the larger society. The methodology for doing this has two parts. First, students are shown how to analyze a problem into its components: Factual issues, conceptual issues, and moral issues. Second, students are given a step-by-step procedure for applying the theory, which provides students with a method for bringing the most important aspects of each moral theory to bear on the problem without getting lost...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0534169627
• ISBN13: 9780534169626
• Release Date: August 1970
• Publisher: Wadsworth
• Length: 214 Pages
• Weight: 0.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 5.9" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Used in BioEthics Class

This was a required text for my Biological Ethics Class last semester. It covers the basics of ethics. My prof, who has been in ethics for the past 30+ years said that this book was a concise overview of what we needed to know in this crash course of ethics. It helps with ethical logic. There are a few parts where the author gets a little confusing but overall a good read.

Good, but there is clearly some bias.

I'll keep this short: I had to purchase this book for a biomedical ethics course I was taking, and though it did accurately portray the strengths and weaknesses of the five major moral theories, there was a tendency of the author to lean toward utilitarianism (though, entirely to his credit, he does admit that his evaluations of the moral theories do include his own personal opinions). Still, I recommend reading it. It's an excellent tool for those wishing to introduce themselves to some of the major, plausible ethical theories out there.