Moral dilemmas, identity, and our moral condition / Michael S. Perry.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Perry, Michael S., 1980- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ethics.

Identity (Philosophical concept).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (246 p.)

Place of Publication:

New York : Algora Publishing, 2014.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

For readers engaged in intellectual struggle, ethical thinking, and trying to figure out how to live a purposeful, fulfilling life, here is a critical and accessible approach to ethics. Moral dilemmas challenge us to think through sticky situations and lead us to look for moral grounding. Following Cicero and other ancient philosophers, the author views ethics in terms of the question of who and what sort of person one ought to be, without relying on religion or any other prescriptions.

Contents:

Preface; Chapter One: Introduction; A Moral Dilemma; Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Inquiry; Outline ; Chapter Two: Preliminary Questions, Distinctions, and Definitions; Why Be Good?; Ethics vs. Morals; Ethics vs. Meta-Ethics; Reasonable and Rational; "Ought to Do" and "Ought to Be" Norms; Reduction vs. Explication; Where Do We Begin?; The Role of Intuitions; The Moral Being; Chapter Three: Moral Dilemmas; Introduction; What is Not a Moral Dilemma; Pedestrian Dilemmas; Theoretical Dilemmas; Critical Dilemmas; Conclusion; Chapter Four: The Use and Purpose of Moral Dilemmas; Pedestrian Dilemmas

Theoretical DilemmasCritical Dilemmas; What is Sought in Response to Moral Dilemmas ; Conclusion; Chapter Five: Attempts to Find Moral Grounding; Introduction; Criteria for a Successful Grounding; Theological Approaches; Consequentialist Approaches; Deontological Approaches; Virtue-Based Approaches; Conclusion; Chapter Six: Identity as Grounding; The General Problem; The Identity Approach; How Identity Deals with the General Problem; What the Approach Offers; Conclusion; Review of the Argument So Far; Chapter Seven: An Explication of Identity; Introduction; Identity as a Web of Roles

Familial RolesPolitical Roles; Intellectual Roles; Social Roles; Communal Roles; Cultural Roles; Affinity Roles; Professional Roles; Aesthetic Roles; Religious Roles; Philosophical Roles; Natural Roles; A Comparison: Kant and Identity; Conclusion; Chapter Eight: General Points Regarding Roles; Roles are Both Factual and Normative; The Content of a Role Has Various Sources; Roles are Acquired by Being, Accident, and Choice; Roles are Particularized; Roles Form a System, Not a Conglomeration; Roles are Hierarchical; Roles Shape Other Roles; Roles are Overlapping; Roles are Contextual

Roles are Fluid in Shape and ExistenceRoles are Often Defeasible, But Some Roles Cannot Truly Be Abandoned; Acting Against a Role Can be a Form of Bad Faith; Roles and Rights; Roles and Universal Norms; A Comparison with Ancient Ethics; Conclusion: Identity Again; Chapter Nine: The Identity Approach in Practice; Lawyers and Legal Ethics; Civil: Defendants' Attorneys; Criminal: Representing the Guilty ; Criminal: Constitutional Violations and Technicalities; Criminal: Plea Bargaining; Business Ethics; Political and Other Leadership; Unjust or Immoral Laws and Orders; Solidarity

CosmopolitanismAddiction and Recovery; Conclusion: Complex Identity and the Integration of the Self; Chapter Ten: Moral Dilemmas Reconsidered; Introduction; Pedestrian Dilemmas; Theoretical Dilemmas ; Critical Dilemmas; The Treatment Reviewed; Chapter Eleven: Between Insulation and Imperialism; Introduction; The Challenge; The Fluidity of Identity; The Essential Self-Conscious Self; The Amoral; Avoiding Ethical Imperialism; Threading the Needle; A Note on Ethical Thought and Reflection; Conclusion; Chapter Twelve: Concluding Reflections; Summary; The Lessons of Moral Dilemmas

The Larger Project and Approach to Ethics

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-62894-077-8

OCLC:

889675064