Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues

By Steven M. Cahn and Peter Markie

Book Overview

The most comprehensive collection of its kind, Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues, Third Edition, is organized into three parts, providing instructors with flexibility in designing and teaching a variety of courses in moral philosophy. The first part, Historical Sources, moves from classical thought (Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and Epictetus) through medieval views (Augustine and Aquinas) to modern theories (Hobbes, Butler, Hume, Kant, Bentham, and Mill), culminating with leading nineteenth- and twentieth-century thinkers (Nietzsche, James, Dewey, Camus, and Sartre). The second part, Modern Ethical Theory, includes many of the most important essays of the past century. The discussion of utilitarianism, Kantianism, egoism, and relativism continues in the work of major contemporary philosophers (Foot, Brandt, Williams, Wolf, and Nagel). Landmark selections (Moore, Prichard, Ross, Ayer, Stevenson, Hare, Baier, Anscombe, Gauthier, and Harman) reflect concern with moral language and the justification of morality. The concepts of justice (Rawls) and rights (Feinberg) are explored, as well as recent views on the importance of virtue ethics (Rachels) and an ethic influenced by feminist concerns (Held). In the third part, Contemporary Moral Problems, the readings present the current debates over abortion, euthanasia, famine relief, animal rights, the death penalty, and whether numbers should play a role in making moral decisions.
The third edition expands Part II, Modern Ethical Theory, adding essays by Onora O'Neill, Ruth Barcan Marcus, Allan Gibbard, Nicholas L. Sturgeon, and Martha Nussbaum. Part III, Contemporary Moral Problems, features new essays on abortion by Mary Anne Warren, Don Marquis, and Rosalind Hursthouse; an essay on the death penalty by Stephen Nathanson; and a debate between John M. Taurek and Derek Parfit on when and why one should save from harm a greater rather than a lesser number of people. The book concludes with an essay by Judith Jarvis Thomson on the trolley problem. Wherever possible, each reading is printed in its entirety.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195178408
• ISBN13: 9780195178401
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 896 Pages
• Weight: 2.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.3" x 1.6" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

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Great Collection of Writings

This is an excellent text for historical readings in ethical theories. The writings begin with Plato (Euthyphro, Defence of Socrates, Crito, etc.) and carries the reader into the Contemporary period (i.e. James Rachels, Joel Feinberg, Michael Tooley, etc.). Every important historical figure and their ethical theories is covered. The group includes, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Epictetus, Augustine, Aquinas, Hobbes, Butler, Hume, Kant, Bentham, Mill, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, James, Dewey, Camus, and Sartre. As you can see the historical writers/philosophers are a great mix.From the modern period the text includes, Moore, Ross, Ayer, Anscombe, Rawls, MacIntyre, Held, Nagel, and many more. Keep in mind that this text is a very comprehensive primary readings source book and nothing more. If you are looking for commentary on the various ethical theories this text will not provide that for you. It is simply, but quite exhaustively, a readings text. This text would be great for teachers who are teaching a type of intro class to ethics (which is fact what I will be doing next semester and using this very text). The only downfall to the text is the fact that it has no glossary or index for easy and quick reference. However, I highly recommend this text as a great compilation of primary sources.