Bending the rules : morality in the modern world : from relationships to politics and war / Robert A. Hinde ; with contributions from Joseph Rotblat.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hinde, Robert A.

Contributor:

Rotblat, Joseph, 1908-2005.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ethics--History--21st century.

Ethics.

History.

Physical Description:

vii, 279 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2007.

Summary:

Do-unto-others-as-you-would-have-them-do-unto-you. Who would disagree with this 'Golden Rule'? It is seen as the basis of an absolute and universal morality. And yet it is considered acceptable to kill the enemy in war; for a businessman to do the best for himself; for a lawyer to argue professionally for a position he would personally reject. Are the moral rules we live by more flexible than they seem at first sight? In Bending the Rules Robert Hinde does not follow the much-trodden path of philosophizing about what is right and just. Instead, he uses an approach grounded in the behavioural sciences to explore the nature of morality, what people actually do, what they believe to be right, and what values they hold, and how these positions came to be. He argues that such a deeper understanding of morality as a product of biological and cultural evolution somewhat modified by the social environment holds out hope that we can avoid disaster and steer society towards peace and equity.

Contents:

Ethical principles and precepts

The evolution of morality

Ethics and law

Exchange and reciprocity : conflict in personal relationships

Ethics and the physical sciences

Ethics and medicine

Ethics and politics

Ethics and business

Ethics and war

What does all this mean for the future?

Appendix : relations to moral philosophy.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 265-275) and index.

ISBN:

9780199218974

0199218978

OCLC:

154707939