An Introduction to Ethics

by Brian Besong

Overview

It is natural for us to wonder what should I do, and why? And although a combination of common sense and upbringing aids us in answering our questions, it is also natural for us to seek answers that are grounded in something deeper and more enduring than our personal dispositions and those of our parents. We seek a genuinely good life and the practical wisdom necessary to arrive at happiness. In this Introduction to Ethics, Brian Besong presents a comprehensive and contemporary introduction to the practical wisdom handed down to us by Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, and many others—a position now commonly called "natural law." Written as a beginner's guide, the book systematically explores a range of moral issues including moral knowledge, happiness, right and wrong action, and virtues, to name a few. Introduction to Ethics explains in a lively way how natural law provides principled and persuasive answers to our most fundamental moral questions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498298896
Publisher:	Cascade Books
Publication date:	01/01/2018
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Brian Besong is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Ohio Dominican University.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction xiii

1 Foundational Issues 1

1.1 Who cares? 1

1.2 Says who? 4

1.3 Prove it 22

1.4 *A Word about Moral Knowledge 29

Chapter Comprehension Questions 31

2 The Pursuit of Happiness 34

2.1 Characterizing Motivation 34

2.2 Initial Criteria and False Leads 43

2.3 Aristotle's Picture of Happiness 49

2.4 Aquinas's Picture of Happiness 55

2.5 Common Aims and Moral Goodness 61

Chapter Comprehension Questions 63

3 Good and Evil 65

3.1 Natural Appetites and Happiness 66

3.2 Moral Goodness 71

Chapter Comprehension Questions 99

4 Moral Responsibility 101

4.1 Excuses, Excuses: The Scope of Moral Evaluation 102

4.2 Intentionality and Moral Responsibility 106

4.3 Freedom and Moral Responsibility 112

4.4 Knowledge and Moral Responsibility 119

4.5 Applications 122

Chapter Comprehension Questions 137

5 Rights and Duties 139

5.1 The Moral Imperative 139

5.2 A Collective Pursuit of Happiness 148

5.3 Connections between Rights and Duties 164

5.4 The Hierarchy of Duties and Rights 168

Chapter Comprehension Questions 176

6 Virtue and Vice 179

6.1 Habits 180

6.2 Virtues and Vices 183

6.3 Prudence 187

6.4 Justice 193

6.5 Temperance 199

6.6 Fortitude 206

Chapter Comprehension Questions 212

Appendix 1 How to Read Philosophy 215

Appendix 2 Objections to Natural Law 221

Bibliography 227

Index 229

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“An introduction to traditional natural law theory that is both philosophically substantive and accessible to a general audience has been badly needed. Besong’s fine, clear, and welcome book fills the bill.”

—Edward Feser, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Pasadena City College





“Besong accomplishes a truly impressive task: a clear, comprehensive, and at the same time brief introduction to classical natural law ethics. Besong has an enviable ability to explain highly complex concepts in terms that undergraduates can understand.”

—Alexander R. Pruss, Professor of Philosophy and Director of Graduate Studies, Baylor University

Editorial Reviews

An introduction to traditional natural law theory that is both philosophically substantive and accessible to a general audience has been badly needed. Besong’s fine, clear, and welcome book fills the bill.”

—Edward Feser, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Pasadena City College





“Besong accomplishes a truly impressive task: a clear, comprehensive, and at the same time brief introduction to classical natural law ethics. Besong has an enviable ability to explain highly complex concepts in terms that undergraduates can understand.”

—Alexander R. Pruss, Professor of Philosophy and Director of Graduate Studies, Baylor University

From the Publisher