Kant and Applied Ethics makes an important contribution to Kant scholarship, illuminating the vital moral parameters of key ethical debates. Offers a critical analysis of Kant’s ethics, interrogating the theoretical bases of his theory and evaluating their strengths and weaknesses Examines the controversies surrounding the most important ethical discussions taking place today, including abortion, the death penalty, and same-sex marriage Joins innovative thinkers in contemporary Kantian scholarship, including Christine Korsgaard, Allen Wood, and Barbara Herman, in taking Kant’s philosophy in new and interesting directions Clarifies Kant's legacy for applied ethics, helping us to understand how these debates have been structured historically and providing us with the philosophical tools to address them
Socrates said that moral philosophy deals with 'no small matter, but how we ought to live'. Beginning with a minimum conception of what morality is, the author offers discussions of the most important ethical theories. He includes treatments of such topics as cultural relativism, ethical subjectivism, psychological egoism, and ethical egoism.
This is an introductory text for an ethics course that provides the theoretical background for discussion of ethical problems. It could be supplemented with essays or anthologies on a range of particular problems, or an instructor could focus on the problems that occupy the concluding chapters: abortion, whistle-blowing, and the relation between ethics and the law. The first few chapters present ethical theory in straightforward fashion discussing alternatives and providing historical orientation. The middle chapters develop what the author calls "action guides" with principles for applying them. The last few chapters demonstrate the theory and action guides at work.
Paul Ricoeur (1913), prominent French philosopher, is one of the most versatile thinkers of our time. Moreover, he is known to be an extremely gifted lecturer, who is able to set forth ethical issues very lucidly. His erudition and profundity are also evident in the two texts that are central to this book, i.e. 'The Problem of the Foundation of Moral Philosophy' and 'Can Forgiveness Heal?' These lectures constitute a remarkable effort on the part of Ricoeur to find an original and more radical foundation of ethics than can be expressed in any law. He demonstrates quite convincingly why the law is not the primary category of ethics. He further deals with the question of what might be the evangelical orientation of ethics. Finally, he sheds light on the specific role of forgiveness. The two lectures by Ricoeur, which have been translated here from French into English, and to which an introduction and three multi-disciplinary commentaries have been added, not only elucidate a fundamental question in the field of ethics, but, in a more general sense, they are also fine examples of philosophical reasoning.
Using path-breaking discoveries of cognitive science, Mark Johnson argues that humans are fundamentally imaginative moral animals, challenging the view that morality is simply a system of universal laws dictated by reason. According to the Western moral tradition, we make ethical decisions by applying universal laws to concrete situations. But Johnson shows how research in cognitive science undermines this view and reveals that imagination has an essential role in ethical deliberation. Expanding his innovative studies of human reason in Metaphors We Live By and The Body in the Mind, Johnson provides the tools for more practical, realistic, and constructive moral reflection.
Moralism involves the distortion of moral thought, the distortion of reflection and judgement. It is a vice, and one to which many - from the philosopher to the media pundit to the politician - are highly susceptible. This book examines the nature of moralism in specific moral judgements and the ways in which moral philosophy and theories about morality can themselves become skewed by this vice. This book ranges across a wide range of topics: the problem of the demandingness of morality; the conflict between moral and other values; the contrast between the practice of moral philosophy and other modes of moral thought or reflection; moralism in the media; and, moralism in the public discussion of literature and art. This highly original and provocative book will be of interest to students of philosophy, psychology, theology and media, and to anyone who takes a serious interest in contemporary morality.
This book presents a variety of discussions from different countries about regulations and applications of ethics in business practice. It demonstrates how Ethics, both in the world of business and in academic life, is consistently a central and unavoidable issue that institutions must devise new regulations on a regular basis to address. Given that applying such regulations becomes complicated in a global business landscape and that International companies have lost large amounts of revenues due to fraudulent activities, the book provides insights for professionals in business world to teach, learn, apply, measure and report on companies' daily business. Business and Professional Ethics: Theories, Standards, and Analysis is essential reading for researchers and students in business schools around the world.
A CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2014! This class-tested text provides a comprehensive overview of the classical and current theories of moral development and applications of these theories in various counseling and educational settings. Lively and accessible, this text engages students through numerous examples and boxes that highlight applications of moral development concepts in today’s media and/or interviews from some of today’s leading theorists or practitioners. Dilemma of the Day boxes help readers apply theory to real world situations. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions and further resources. Summary tables of theory strengths and weaknesses (Part 1) and tables that connect applications to their theoretical roots are provided in Part 2. Other highlights include: Provides an excellent resource for courses addressing the CACREP program objectives for Human Growth and Development. Emphasis on application helps readers make the connection between theory and moral issues of our time. Examines changes across time and experience in how people understand right and wrong and individual differences in moral judgments, emotions, and actions. Demonstrates how theory is used by today‘s helping professionals (Part 1). Integrates issues of gender and ethnicity throughout to prepare readers for practicing in a global culture. Chapter on global perspectives (ch. 6) reviews theories on the cultural aspects of morality including examples from China, Islam, Latin America, and Africa. Reviews the latest research methods techniques used in the field. Integrates classic work with contemporary guidelines for assessment and treatment. Highlights research on the moral and empathic development of antisocial youth, psychopaths, and individuals diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. Each chapter in Part 1 provides a comprehensive overview of the theory under review, its strengths and challenges, and examples of how the theory applies to helping professionals. The theories covered include those by Freud, Piaget, Kohlberg, Rest, Gilligan, Nodding, Bandura, Turiel, Nucci, Haidt, and Shweder. Part 1 concludes with a summary of the key points and the strengths and weaknesses of each of the theories reviewed. Part 2 highlights promising applications of moral development theory in education and counseling. These include coverage of character education programs based on sound developmental theory and examples of how drawing on a deep grounding in moral development theory can help future counselors better evaluate their clients’ cognitive, emotional and behavioral challenges. The text explores specific approaches to helping clients with a variety of dysfunctional or developmental behavior problems like conduct disorder and psychopathy. Ideal as a text for advanced undergraduate and/or graduate courses on moral development or moral psychology or as a supplement in courses on human and/or child and/or social and personality development taught in psychology, counseling, education, human development, family studies, social work, and religion, this book’s applied approach also appeals to mental health and school counselors.
The philosophical tradition has given rise to many competing moral theories. Virtue ethics encourages the flourishing of the person, theories of justice and rights tell us to act according to principles, and consequentialist theories advise that we seek to bring about good ends. These varied theories highlight the morally relevant features of the problems that we encounter both in everyday personal interactions and on a broader social scale. When used together, they allow us to address moral conflicts by balancing a plurality of reasons in order to reach nuanced ethical decisions. In Ethical Reasoning: Theory and Application, Andrew Kernohan guides the reader through the basics of these moral theories, showing their strengths and weaknesses and emphasizing the ways in which competing moral reasons can be collectively employed to guide decision-making. Throughout, the focus is on practical applications and on how each theory can play a role in solving problems and addressing issues. Numerous questions and exercises are provided to encourage active reflection and retention of information.
