Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues

by Ruggiero, Vincent

• ISBN13: 9780073535685
• ISBN10: 0073535680
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-04-13
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages

Summary

This concise, accessible text emphasizes doing ethical analysis and thinking critically about ethical issues, rather than focusing on ethical theory or the history of ethics. Ruggiero's readers are invited to apply ethical principles to issues that exemplify the kinds of moral challenges encountered in everyday life. It engages students' minds, stimulates enthusiasm, and makes teaching more effective and rewarding.

Table of Contents

The Context

The Need For Ethics

Why do we need ethics if we have laws?

Ethics defined Ethics and religious belief The need for ethics Preliminary guidelines Doing research on the Internet Making discussion meaningful Sample responses Inquiries

The Role Of The Majority View

A sample situation The majority can err Sample response Inquiries

The Role Of Feelings

How feelings came to be emphasized Are feelings reliable?

A better guide is needed Sample response Inquiries

The Role Of Conscience

Conscience and shame Individual differences The shapers of conscience Natural endowment Social conditioning Moral choice A balanced view of conscience Sample response Inquiries

Comparing Cultures

Differences among cultures Interpreting the differences The similarity of values Is judgment appropriate? Three important cautions Inquiries

A Strategy

A Foundation For Judgment

Assessing ought statements Oughts in ancient cultures Governmental oughts Organizational oughts Our own everyday oughts The principle of right desire The principle of contradiction Challenges to judgment Relativism Absolutism Inquiries

The Basic Criteria

A fundamental good: respect for persons Three basic criteria Obligations Moral ideals Consequences Analyzing ethical issues Step

Study the details of the case

Identify the relevant criteria

Determine possible courses of action

Decide which action is most ethical The case of Professor Woebegone

The details of the case

Relevant criteria

Possible courses of action

The most ethical action The case of Horace’s house

The details of the case

Relevant criteria

Possible courses of action

The most ethical action A caution about generalizing Avoiding other errors “Mine is better” thinking Double standard Unwarranted assumptions Oversimplifications Hasty conclusions Inquiries

Considering Obligations

When obligations conflict Weighing the obligations Two moral dilemmas The Alabama syphilis case Thoroughness is important Inquiries

Considering Moral Ideals

Important moral ideals Prudence Justice Temperance Courage Loving kindness Integrity Forgiveness Repentance Reparation Gratitude Beneficence Ideals in conflict The Munich incident The issue of affirmative action Ideals versus obligations Inquiries

Considering Consequences

Dealing with probability Making the analysis thorough Three difficult questions A caution Dealing with dilemmas Inquiries

Determining Moral Responsibility

How free are our choices? When culpability is diminished Ethics and law More typical cases Heroism not required Inquiries

The Tradition

A Perspective On History

The classical period The medieval period The modern period The ethics of duty The ethics of consequences Great issues in ethics Inquiries

Contemporary Ethical Controversies

Education Media and the arts Sex Government Law Business Medicine Science War

Suggestion For Further Study

Writing About Moral Issues

Avoiding Plagiarism

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.