How to live : being happy and dealing with moral dilemmas / Mirko Bagaric.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bagaric, Mirko.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Applied ethics.

Conduct of life.

Physical Description:

ix, 226 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : University Press of America, 2006.

Summary:

This work provides clear answers to difficult moral and social issues that we face in our personal lives-that governments need to address when balancing the interests of the community. By demystifying moral discourse, How to Live provides a clear moral pathway for students of philosophy, medicine, and law, as well as the general reader. The moral framework of How to Live is developed from an interdisciplinary perspective. The culmination presents a forward-thinking theory that will maximize the success and happiness of the individual and the community within a society.

Contents:

Part A The Moral Framework

1 What is Morality? 3

1.1 The Nature of Morality: It is the Most Important Standard 3

1.2 Morality is Objective Not Subjective 4

1.3 Overview of Moral Theories 8

1.4 Non-consequentialist (Rights) Theories 8

1.5 Consequentialism 13

2 The Things That Make us Happy 26

2.1 Overview of the Convergence of the Human Condition 26

2.2 What is Happiness? 27

2.3 Why is Happiness Important 28

2.4 What Makes People Happy? 29

Part B Personal Ethics

3 Loyalty, Friendship and Love 47

3.1 Overview of our preference towards those close to us 47

3.2 The Nature of Loyalty 48

3.3 The Tension Between Loyalty and Morality 49

3.4 The Overlap Between Morality and Loyalty 51

3.5 The Limits of Loyalty 55

4 Lying 59

4.2 Different Types of Lies 61

4.3 The Moral Status of Lies 63

4.4 The Discord Between the Perception and the Reality of the Prohibition against Lying 69

Part C Medical Ethics

5 Eugenics: Should We Create Designer Babies? 75

5.2 Whether Eugenics is Intrinsically Wrong 77

5.3 Bad Consequences and Slippery Slope Argument 79

5.4 Balancing all the considerations 84

6 Stem Cell Research and Abortion 87

6.2 The Potential Benefits of Stem Cell Research 89

6.3 The Moral Status of Stem Cell Research 90

6.4 The Central Issue: When Does Life Begin? 93

6.5 Ramifications for Morality of Stem Cell Research 96

6.6 Abortion 98

7 Euthanasia 102

7.1 Overview and Definitional issues 102

7.2 Arguments favouring euthanasia 104

7.3 Arguments Against Euthanasia 107

7.4 Overview of Moral Status of Euthanasia 113

Part D Dealing with Wrongdoers

8 Punishment and Sentencing 119

8.2 Pick a Theory of Punishment 120

8.3 Ignore Public Opinion 121

8.4 Identify the Objectives of Sentencing-Incapacitation, Deterrence and Rehabilitation? 122

8.5 Make the Punishment Fit the Crime 123

8.6 Aggravating and Mitigating Factors-Scrutinise each of them 124

8.7 On-Going Reform 125

9 Terrorism 128

9.1 Terrorism: what is it? 128

9.2 Responses to Terrorism-Security Versus Liberty 131

9.3 The Types of Restrictive Laws That are Permissible 134

9.4 The Right to Free Speech is Untrammeled-It is a weapon against terrorism 135

9.5 Broader solutions to terrorism 136

Part E Dealing with 'Other' People and Animals

10 World Poverty 141

10.1 The Enormity of World Suffering 141

10.2 The Explanation For The Inadequate Response 142

11 Migrants 148

11.1 Introduction and an Overview of Arguments Against Strict Migration Controls 148

11.2 Sovereignty and the History of Migration Controls 150

11.3 Arguments in Favour of Reduced Migration Controls 155

11.4 Arguments in Favour of Strict Migration Controls 161

11.5 Reform Proposals and Conclusion 166

12 The Environment 169

12.2 Growing Interest in Environmental Law-Lip Service Only? 169

12.3 A Moral Environmental Duty is Not Self-Evident 172

12.4 Grounding a Moral Environment Duty 174

12.5 Practical Application: Should we Ratify the Kyoto Protocol 176

13 Animals 184

13.2 It is Morally Wrong to Treat Animals Cruelly 185

13.3 Why Has There Not Been More Attempts to Prevent Cruelty to Animals? 191

Part F Business Ethics

14 The Social Responsibility of Corporations 197

14.2 The Threshold Issue: Is There a Role For Ethical Considerations in Business 198

14.3 Application of Moral Principle to Business Setting 204

14.4 Additional Duties Imposed on Corporations-A Duty of Benevolence? 206

14.5 Extreme Wealth and Duty to Not Frustrate Access to Justice 212

15 Bribery and Networking 216

15.3 Moral Evaluation of Bribery 219

15.4 Moral Evaluation of Networking 220.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

0761835326

9780761835325

OCLC:

77574044

Publisher Number:

9780761835325 (paperback : alk. paper)