Contemporary Moral Problems

by James E. White

Overview

Where do you ground your own moral claims? James E. White's classic anthology, Contemporary Moral Problems, first prepares you for this exploration by laying out an introduction to the major currents of thought in the history of Western ethics. And then, by offering divergent viewpoints on a number of timely issues, White's text introduces you to the spectrum of views on a range of topics that will help you hone in on your own critically ethical outlooks. Whether the topic is abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, sexuality and marriage, liberty and drugs, the moral status of animals, consumption and the environment, or war and terrorism, each chapter offers a carefully balanced representation of viewpoints. Replete with philosopher biographies, compelling problem cases, illuminating introductory essays, summaries of conclusions, and end-of-chapter study questions, the Eighth Edition situates ethical complexities within concrete, real world contexts you can readily grasp.

In addition to numerous essential and timeless readings carried over from the past edition, this extensively updated Eighth Edition includes 18 new classical and contemporary readings, some of which include the following ethicists and topics: William H. Shaw on relativism in ethics, Jean Grimshaw on the idea of a female ethic, Elizabeth Harmon on creation ethics, John Hardwig on the duty to die, Ernest van den Haag and Jeffrey H. Reiman on capital punishment, Martha Nussbaum and Sam Schulman on sexuality and marriage, John Hospers on libertarianism, Gerald Dworkin on paternalism, Daniel Shapiro on addiction and drug policy, Mary Anne Warren on the moral status of animals, Roger Scruton on the moral status of animals, David Luban on the war on terrorism and the end of human rights, Michael G. Knapp on the concept and practice of Jihad in Islam.

Enrich your learning experience even further by visiting the Book Companion Website, offering a rich array of teaching and learning resources that you won't find anywhere else. Available at no additional cost, this site features additional cases, chapter-by-chapter outlines, reviews, and quizzing exclusively pertaining to Contemporary Moral Problems. From this site you can also link to our Philosophy Discipline Website, which was created for inquiring minds.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780495739159
Publisher:	Cengage Learning
Publication date:	01/28/2008
Edition description:	New Edition
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

James E. White received a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado and is retired after teaching at Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota.

Table of Contents

	Preface	vii
Chapter 1	Ethical Theories	1
	Introduction	2
	James Rachels: Egoism and Moral Scepticism	10
	John Arthur: Religion, Morality, and Conscience	19
	Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Natural Law	27
	David Hume: Morality is Based on Sentiment	30
	William H. Shaw: Ethical Relativism	34
	John Stuart Mill: Utilitarianism	38
	Immanuel Kant: The Categorical Imperative	44
	Aristotle: Happiness and Virtue	50
	John Rawls: A Theory of Justice	60
	Jean Grimshaw: The Idea of a Female Ethic	66
	Problem Cases	74
	Suggested Readings	77
Chapter 2	Abortion	81
	Introduction	82
	The U.S. Supreme Court: Roe v. Wade (1973)	88
	John T. Noonan, Jr.: An Almost Absolute Value in History	98
	Judith Jarvis Thomson: A Defense of Abortion	104
	Mary Anne Warren: On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion	114
	Don Marquis: An Argument that Abortion Is Wrong	126
	Elizabeth Harman: Creation Ethics	138
	Problem Cases	148
	Suggested Readings	154
Chapter 3	Euthanasia and the Duty to Die	157
	Introduction	158
	James Rachels: Active and Passive Euthanasia	163
	Bonnie Steinbock: The Intentional Termination of Life	168
	Phillippa Foot: Killing and Letting Die	174
	John Harris: The Survival Lottery	180
	Peter Singer: Justifying Voluntary Euthanasia	186
	John Hardwig: Is There a Duty to Die?	192
	Problem Cases	204
	Suggested Readings	209
Chapter 4	Capital Punishment	213
	Introduction	214
	The U.S. Supreme Court: Gregg v. Georgia (1976)	214
	Immanuel Kant: The Retributive Theory of Punishment	229
	Ernest van den Haag: The Ultimate Punishment: A Defense of Capital Punishment	231
	Jeffrey H. Reiman: Justice, Civilization, and the Death Penalty	238
	Problem Cases	249
	Suggested Readings	252
Chapter 5	Sexuality and Marriage	255
	Introduction	256
	The Vatican: Declaration on Sexual Ethics	260
	John Corvino: Why Shouldn't Tommy and Jim Have Sex? A Defense of Homosexuality	266
	David Bradshaw: A Reply to Corvino	277
	Martha Nussbaum: Plato and Aristotle on Love	284
	Sam Schulman: Gay Marriage-and Marriage	285
	Jonathan Rauch: Who Needs Marriage?	294
	Problem Cases	303
	Suggested Readings	308
Chapter 6	Liberty and Drugs	311
	Introduction	312
	John Stuart Mill: On Liberty	316
	John Hospers: What Libertarianism Is	321
	Gerald Dworkin: Paternalism	330
	Thomas Szasz: The Ethics of Addiction	343
	James Q. Wilson: Against Legalization of Drugs	351
	Daniel Shapiro: Addiction and Drug Policy	360
	Problem Cases	367
	Suggested Readings	371
Chapter 7	The Moral Status of Animals	373
	Introduction	374
	Immanuel Kant: Our Duties to Animals	377
	Peter Singer: All Animals Are Equal	377
	Tom Regan: The Case for Animal Rights	379
	Mary Anne Warren: Difficulties with the Strong Animal Rights Position	396
	Roger Scruton: The Moral Status of Animals	403
	Problem Cases	408
	Suggested Readings	410
Chapter 8	The Environment and Consumption	413
	Introduction	414
	Aldo Leopold: The Land Ethic	419
	J. Baird Callicot: Animal Liberation: A Triangular Affair	430
	Alan Thein Durning: The Environmental Costs of Consumption	447
	Peter Singer: Famine, Affluence, and Morality	455
	Problem Cases	464
	Suggested Readings	470
Chapter 9	War and Terrorism	473
	Introduction	480
	Douglas P. Lackey: Pacifism	480
	William V. O'Brien: The Conduct of Just and Limited War	494
	Haig Khatchadourian: The Morality of Terrorism	507
	Laurie Calhoun: The Terrorist's Tacit Message	520
	David Luban: The War on Terrorism and the End of Human Rights	527
	Michael G. Knapp: The Concept and Practice of Jihad in Islam	534
	Problem Cases	545
	Suggested Readings	555
	Index	559

Editorial Reviews

This textbook begins with brief excerpts representing major moral theories, including those of Rawls, Nietzsche, Mill, Kant, Aristotle, and Dworkin. It then provides readings representing various positions in regard to contemporary controversies. Among the topics addressed are: abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, sexuality and marriage, pornography and drugs, affirmative action, animals, the environment, and terrorism and war. "Problem cases" are presented for each topic. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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