Ethics : Theory and Practice

by Thiroux, Jacques P.

• ISBN13: 9780131830028
• ISBN10: 0131830023
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

Jacques P. Thiroux first published ETHICS: THEORY AND PRACTICE in 1977 in order to educate readers about ethical theory and to have them apply what they learn to specific problems (e.g., taking human life; lying, cheating, stealing, and breaking promises; establishing ethical practices in business; honoring ethical obligations in medicine; and so on). Together with case studies written by the author, ETHICS: THEORY AND PRACTICE continues to provide students with a solid foundation in understanding classic and contemporary moral problems. New to Ethics: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition! bull; bull;New sections on stem cell research, advanced health care, and the Enron scandal bull;Revised sections on terrorism in the wake of September 11, 2001 bull;Added material on care ethics and John Rawls's theory of justice bull;Companion Website trade; : FREE, online resource for students for further enrichment in ethics studies bull;ABC NEWS trade; Videos: FREE videos for instructional use on contemporary ethical issues (forthcoming)

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
What Is Morality?	p. 1
Objectives	p. 1
What Is Philosophy and Ethics' Relationship to It?	p. 2
Key Terms	p. 2
Approaches to the Study of Morality	p. 6
Morality and Its Applications	p. 8
Where Does Morality Come From?	p. 13
Customary or Traditional and Reflective Morality	p. 17
Morality, Law, and Religion	p. 18
Why Should Human Beings Be Moral?	p. 24
Chapter Summary	p. 28
Exercises for Review	p. 31
Discussion Questions	p. 32
Notes	p. 33
Supplementary Reading	p. 33
Consequentialist (Teleological) Theories of Morality	p. 35
Objectives	p. 35
Psychological Egoism	p. 36
Ethical Egoism	p. 38
Utilitarianism	p. 43
Difficulty with Consequentialist Theories in General	p. 48
Chapter Summary	p. 49
Exercises for Review	p. 51
Discussion Questions	p. 52
Notes	p. 53
Supplementary Reading	p. 53
Nonconsequentialist (Deontological) Theories of Morality and Virtue Ethics	p. 55
Objectives	p. 55
Act Nonconsequentialist Theories	p. 56
Rule Nonconsequentialist Theories	p. 59
General Criticisms of Nonconsequentialist Theories	p. 66
Virtue Ethics	p. 68
Conclusions	p. 74
Chapter Summary	p. 74
Exercises for Review	p. 78
Discussion Questions	p. 79
Notes	p. 81
Supplementary Reading	p. 81
Absolutism versus Relativism	p. 83
Objectives	p. 83
The Meanings of Absolute	p. 84
The Meanings of Relative	p. 85
Cultural Relativism and Cultural Absolutism	p. 85
Propositions and Truth	p. 87
Conclusion	p. 94
Chapter Summary	p. 96
Exercises for Review	p. 97
Discussion Questions	p. 98
Notes	p. 99
Supplementary Reading	p. 99
Freedom versus Determinism	p. 101
Objectives	p. 101
The Meaning of Determinism	p. 102
Types and Theories of Determinism	p. 102
Fatalism and Hard and Soft Determinism	p. 108
Indeterminism	p. 110
Criticisms of Hard Determinism and Arguments for Freedom	p. 111
Conclusion: Soft Determinism	p. 114
Chapter Summary	p. 115
Exercises for Review	p. 118
Discussion Questions	p. 118
Notes	p. 119
Supplementary Reading	p. 119
Reward and Punishment	p. 121
Objectives	p. 121
Definition of Key Terms	p. 122
Reward and Punishment in Relationship to Justice	p. 122
Elements of Justice	p. 123
Reward	p. 124
Theories of How to Reward	p. 130
Punishment	p. 131
Theories of Punishment	p. 133
Is a Synthesis Possible?	p. 143
Chapter Summary	p. 145
Exercises for Review	p. 150
Discussion Questions	p. 150
Notes	p. 151
Supplementary Reading	p. 151
Setting Up a Moral System: Basic Assumptions and Basic Principles	p. 153
Objectives	p. 153
Conflicting General Moral Issues	p. 154
Basic Assumptions	p. 155
Basic Principles, Individual Freedom, and Their Justification	p. 160
Priority of the Basic Principles	p. 170
A General Way of Determining Priority--Two Categories	p. 170
How the System of Humanitarian Ethics Works	p. 174
Conclusion	p. 175
Chapter Summary	p. 177
Exercises for Review	p. 178
Discussion Questions	p. 179
Note	p. 179
Supplementary Reading	p. 179
The Taking of Human Life	p. 181
Objectives	p. 181
The Taking of Human Life	p. 182
Suicide	p. 182
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 185
Defense of the Innocent (the Self Included)	p. 186
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 187
War	p. 188
Terrorism	p. 191
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 192
Capital Punishment	p. 193
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 198
Chapter Summary	p. 199
Exercises for Review	p. 202
Views of Major Ethical Theories on the Taking of Human Life	p. 203
Suicide	p. 203
Defense of the Innocent	p. 205
War and Terrorism	p. 206
Capital Punishment	p. 208
Reader Reactions	p. 210
Notes	p. 210
Supplementary Reading	p. 210
Allowing Someone to Die, Mercy Death, and Mercy Killing	p. 213
Objectives	p. 213
Definition of Terms	p. 214
Current Legal Status of Mercy Death and Mercy Killing	p. 215
Allowing Someone to Die	p. 217
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 245
Mercy Death	p. 247
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 255
Mercy Killing	p. 256
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 259
Chapter Summary	p. 261
Exercises for Review	p. 265
Views of the Major Ethical Theories on Allowing Someone to Die, Mercy Death, and Mercy Killing	p. 266
Notes	p. 266
Supplementary Reading	p. 267
Abortion	p. 269
Objectives	p. 269
Introduction to the Abortion Issue	p. 270
When Does Human Life Begin?	p. 273
Arguments Against Abortion	p. 275
Arguments for Abortion	p. 279
The More Moderate Positions on Abortion	p. 283
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 287
Chapter Summary	p. 288
Exercises for Review	p. 291
Views of the Major Ethical Theories on Abortion	p. 292
Notes	p. 292
Supplementary Reading	p. 293
Lying, Cheating, Breaking Promises, and Stealing	p. 295
Objectives	p. 295
Introduction	p. 296
Definitions of Key Terms	p. 296
Nonconsequentialist and Consequentialist Views	p. 297
Lying	p. 299
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 306
Cheating	p. 307
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 310
Breaking Promises	p. 311
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 316
Stealing	p. 317
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 321
Chapter Summary	p. 322
Exercises for Review	p. 325
Views of the Major Ethical Theories on Lying, Cheating, Breaking Promises, and Stealing	p. 326
Notes	p. 326
Supplementary Reading	p. 327
Morality, Marriage, and Human Sexuality	p. 329
Objectives	p. 329
Major Aspects of Human Sexuality	p. 330
The Meaning and Purposes of Human Sexuality	p. 330
Premarital Sex	p. 335
Sex in Marriage-Type Relationships (Including Nonlegal)	p. 333
Masturbation	p. 346
Pornography	p. 347
Prostitution	p. 349
Sexual Perversion or "Unnatural" Sexual Activity	p. 350
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 351
Chapter Summary	p. 352
Exercises for Review	p. 358
Views of the Major Ethical Theories on Morality, Human Sexuality, and Marriage	p. 359
Notes	p. 359
Supplemetary Reading	p. 359
Bioethics--Ethical Issues in Medicine	p. 362
Objectives	p. 362
Introduction and Definition of Terms	p. 363
Health Care Professionals and Patients and Their Families--Rights and Obligations	p. 363
Truth Telling and Informed Consent	p. 368
Confidentiality	p. 373
Guilt and Innocence in Treating Patients	p. 374
Ethical Issues in Medicine	p. 375
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 380
Chapter Summary	p. 382
Exercises for Review	p. 389
Views of the Major Ethical Theories on Bioethical Issues	p. 390
Notes	p. 390
Supplementary Reading	p. 391
Business and Media Ethics	p. 394
Objectives	p. 394
Introduction	p. 395
Rights and Obligations in Business	p. 395
Two Ways of Approaching Rights and Obligations in Business	p. 396
The Moderate Position	p. 398
Justice, Truth Telling, and Honesty in Business	p. 399
Ethical Issues in Business	p. 400
Sexual Harassment	p. 406
Media Ethics	p. 409
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 413
Chapter Summary	p. 417
Exercises for Review	p. 423
Views of the Major Ethical Theories on Business and Media Ethics	p. 424
Notes	p. 424
Supplementary Reading	p. 424
Environmental Ethics	p. 426
Objectives	p. 426
Key Terms	p. 427
Nature and Morality	p. 427
Environmental Ethical Issues	p. 428
Our Attitude Toward Nature and What Lies Behind it	p. 430
Arguments for Use and Exploitation of the Natural Environment	p. 433
Arguments Against the Use and Exploitation of Nature	p. 434
Moderate Position	p. 436
Criteria for Animal Rights	p. 436
Ways of Dealing with Animal Rights	p. 429
Use of Animals for Food	p. 438
Use of Animals for Experimentation	p. 440
Killing Animals for Sport	p. 441
Protection of Endangered Species	p. 444
Conclusion	p. 444
Cases for Study and Discussion	p. 445
Chapter Summary	p. 447
Exercises for Review	p. 452
Views of the Major Ethical Theories on Environmental Ethics	p. 452
Notes	p. 453
Supplementary Reading	p. 443
Appendixes	p. 455
Introduction	p. 455
Applying Humanitarian Ethics to the Moral Problems of the Taking of Human Life	p. 456
Applying Humanitarian Ethics to the Moral Problems of Allowing Someone to Die, Mercy Death, and Mercy Killing	p. 467
Applying Humanitarian Ethics to the Moral Problems of Abortion	p. 476
Applying Humanitarian Ethics to the Moral Problems of Lying, Cheating, Breaking Promises, and Stealing	p. 487
Applying Humanitarian Ethics to the Moral Problems of Human Sexuality	p. 496
Applying Humanitarian Ethics to Moral Problems in Medicine (Bioethics)	p. 502
Applying Humanitarian Ethics to Moral Problems in Business (Business and Media Ethics)	p. 550
Applying Humanitarian Ethics to Environmental Ethics	p. 517
Glossary	p. 522
Index	p. 533
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