My Account Log in

1 option

An introduction to moral philosophy / Jonathan Wolff, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.

Van Pelt Library BJ1025 .W65 2021
Loading location information...

Available This item is available for access.

Log in to request item
Format:
Book
Author/Creator:
Wolff, Jonathan, author.
Language:
English
Subjects (All):
Ethics.
Physical Description:
xxi, 425, K-10, G-10, I-15 pages ; 21 cm
Edition:
Second edition.
Place of Publication:
New York, NY : W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., [2021]
Summary:
"Using real-world examples and vivid illustrations drawn from other disciplines, An Introduction to Moral Philosophy challenges preconceived notions about morality and demonstrates why ethics matters. From respected philosopher and writer Jonathan Wolff, this edition features a thoughtful and contemporary treatment of the ethics of gender, race, and non-Western moral philosophy, engaging narrative introductions to moral theories and the thinkers behind them"-- Provided by publisher.
Contents:
Machine generated contents note: ch. 1 Moral Philosophy and Moral Reasoning
The Point of Moral Philosophy
Developing a Moral Outlook
Traditions of Moral Philosophy
The Nature of Moral Philosophy
Meta-Ethics
Normative Ethics
Applied Ethics
Moral Reasoning
Formal Logic: Validity, Soundness, Equivocation, Circularity
Logical Traps
Informal Logic: Analogy, Induction, Inference to the Best Explanation
Thought Experiments and Moral Intuitions
Special Moral Arguments
Biases in Reasoning
The Plan of This Book
Chapter Review
Summary
Check Your Understanding
Apply Your Learning
Key Terms
Key Thinkers
Further Reading
ch. 2 Cultural Relativism
The Variety of Moral Practices
Objectivism or Cultural Relativism?
Relativism and Pseudo-Relativism
Problems for Relativism
Modest Relativism
Genital Cutting and Cultural Relativism
ch. 3 Nihilism and Subjectivism
Varieties of Nihilism and Subjectivism
Moral Nihilism
Morality as a Device to Curb the Strong
Individual Subjectivism
Expressivism
Objective Moral Concepts
Ethics, Language, Metaphysics, and Epistemology
The Argument from Queerness
Evolutionary Debunking Arguments
Responding to Subjectivism
ch. 4 Free Will and Moral Responsibility
Free Will
Intuitive Belief in Free Will
Sociological Determinism
Psychological and Physical Determinism
Determinism and Moral Responsibility
Moral Compatibilism
ch. 5 Religion and Natural Law
Religion as a Basis for Morality
God and Moral Obligation
Divine Command and the Euthyphro Dilemma
Responding to the Dilemma
Religion and Natural Law
Natural Law and Reason
The Fact/Value Distinction
Natural Law and Conscience
ch. 6 Egoism
Why Be Moral?
Psychological Egoism
The Evidence for Psychological Egoism
Responding to Psychological Egoism
Self-Interest and Evolution
Selfish Genes and Kin Altruism
The Mountain People
Ethical Egoism
Private Vices, Public Virtues
Pure Ethical Egoism
ch. 7 The Social Contract
Morality as a Compromise Agreement
The Social Contract
The Prisoner's Dilemma
Cooperation and Public Goods
Developing the Social Contract Argument
Beyond Rules and Regulations
Social Contract Theory in Practice: End-of-Life Decisions, Abortion, and Animal Rights
ch. 8 Utilitarianism: Bentham and Mill
Moral Theories
The Context of Bentham's Moral Philosophy
Elimination of Asceticism
Elimination of the Principle of Sympathy and Antipathy
Clarifying Utilitarianism
Bentham's Theory of the Good
Measuring Happiness
John Stuart Mill and Equality for Women
Subjection of Women
Using Utilitarianism: The Case of Capital Punishment
Justifying Utilitarianism
Mill's Proof
ch. 9 Challenges for Utilitarianism
Is Happiness the Sole Ultimate Good?
The Narrowness Objection
The Agency Objection
The Evil Pleasures Objection
The Quality Objection
The Irrelevance Objection
Maximizing Happiness
Over-Demandingness, Supererogation, and Agent-Centered Morality
Counterintuitive Implications
Modifying Utilitarianism
Act and Rule Utilitarianism
Two-Level Utilitarianism
The Problem of Contingency: Gender
Mill and Racial Equality
ch. 10 Deontology: Kant
The Supreme Moral Principle
Preview of Kant's Ethics
The Good Will
Sympathy
The Categorical Imperative
Hypothetical and Categorical Imperatives
The Maxim of an Action
Kant's Examples of Moral Dilemmas: Suicide, False Promises, Neglecting Your Talents, and Refusing Aid to Others
Suicide
Neglecting Your Talents, and Failing to Help
ch. 11 Challenges for Kantian Ethics
Formulations of the Supreme Principle of Morality
The Formula of the Kingdom of Ends
The Formula of Humanity
Autonomy and Heteronomy
Using Kant's Theory
Once More: Kant on Lying
Kantian Ethics in Real Life
Freedom and Morality
Kant and Christianity
Moral Principles, Race, and Gender
ch. 12 Virtue Ethics: Aristotle
Aristotle's Moral Methodology
The Good Life
Acquiring Virtue
Is Virtue Natural?
Can Virtue Be Learned from a Book?
Habituation
Vice, Virtue, and the Golden Mean
The Virtues
The Golden Mean
The Mean and Virtue Theory
ch. 13 Challenges for Virtue Ethics
Criticisms of Virtue Ethics
Using Virtue Theory: Abortion
Confucius and Ritual
Do You Have a Character?
Aristotle on Women and "Barbarians"
ch. 14 The Ethics of Gender
Gender: A Review
The Ethics of Care
Jake and Amy: Should Heinz Steal a Drug to Save a Life?
Power, Privilege, and Diversity
The Birdcage and the Example of Pornography
Feminism and Science: The Case of Hysteria
Morality and Power
Critique of Moral Philosophy
Beyond the Binary Divide
Taking Action
ch. 15 The Ethics of Race
Race and Moral Philosophy
Defining Race
Defining Racism
Racial Experience
Racial Diversity and Mixed Race
Race and Gender
Developing an Ethics of Race: Black Lives Matter
Anti-Racist Policies
Affirmative Action
Reparations
ch. 16 Moral Philosophy in Practice
Applying Moral Theories: World Hunger
Utilitarian Approaches to World Hunger
Kantian Approaches to World Hunger
World Hunger, Virtue Ethics, and the Ethics of Care
Lessons Learned
Moral Problems
The Death Penalty
Euthanasia
Abortion
Animal Rights
Climate Change
Economic Justice
Too Many Answers?
Deepening Your Moral Outlook
AFTERWORD COVID-19: The Ethical Issues
Political Decisions
Use of Scarce Medical Resources
Personal Conduct.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:
9780393428179
0393428176
OCLC:
1164818128

The Penn Libraries is committed to describing library materials using current, accurate, and responsible language. If you discover outdated or inaccurate language, please fill out this feedback form to report it and suggest alternative language.

Find

Home Release notes

My Account

Shelf Request an item Bookmarks Fines and fees Settings

Guides

Using the Find catalog Using Articles+ Using your account