Contemporary Jewish Ethics and Morality A Reader

by Dorff, Elliot N.; Newman, Louis E.

• ISBN13: 9780195090666
• ISBN10: 0195090667
• Additional ISBN(s): 9780195090659
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1995-03-30
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• More Book Details

Summary

Over the past decade much significant new work has appeared in the field of Jewish ethics. While much of this work has been devoted to issues in applied ethics, a number of important essays have explored central themes within the tradition and clarified the theoretical foundations of Jewishethics. This important text grew out of the need for a single work which accurately and conveniently reflects these developments within the field. The first text of its kind in almost two decades, Contemporary Jewish Ethics and Morality presents wide-ranging and carefully organized recent essays on Jewish ethical theory and practice. Serving as an introduction to Jewish ethics, it acquaints the student with the distinctive methodologicalissues involved and offers a sampling of Jewish positions on contemporary moral problems. The book features work from both traditionalist and liberal contributors, making this the only volume which encompasses the full range of contemporary Jewish ethical perspectives. Writers such as HaroldSchulweis, Judith Plaskow, David Novak, David Hartman, and Blu Greenberg discuss law and ethics, natural law, humility, justice, sex and the family, euthanasia, and other vital issues relating to modern Judaism. Many of the readings appear here for the first time, making this important text the mosttimely sourcebook in its field. Uniquely qualified to reflect the high level and depth of contemporary work in this area of study, Contemporary Jewish Ethics and Morality is an essential contribution to any course dealing with Jewish ethics.

Table of Contents

Editors' Introduction

Jewish Ethics

The Literature and Context of Jewish Ethics.

""The Structure of Jewish Ethics""

Theoretical Issues in Jewish Ethics

""Ethics as Law, Law as Religion""

""Natural Law, Halakah, and the Covenant""

""The Single Mirror of Jewish Images""

""Covenant: The Transcendent Thrust in Jewish Law""

Reconceptualizing Jewish Ethics in Modern Times

""Modernizing American Jewish Ethics: The Liberal Dilemma""

""The Jewish Self""

""Jewish Tradition and Political Action""

Methodological Problems: The Case of Jewish Medical Ethics

""How to Draw Guidance from a Heritage: Moral Choices""

""Woodchoppers and Respirators: The Problem of Interpretation""

"" A Methodology for Jewish Medical Ethics""

""Cases and Principles in Jewish Bioethics""

Alternative Visions of Jewish Ethics.

""Jewish Ethics After the Holocaust""

""An Ethics of Encounter: Public Choices and Private Acts""

""Emmanuel Levinas' Talmudic Commentaries""

Jewish Morality

Introduction

Traditional Jewish Virtues and Values.

""The Meaning of Jewish Existence""

""Towards a Definition of Humility""

Jewish Perspectives on Sex and Family

""Some Aspects of Sex, Society and God in Judaism""

""Down-to-Earth Judiasm: Sexuality""

""Jewish Family Ethics in Post-Halakhic Age""

""The Theoretical Basis of Women's Equality in Judaism""

Jewish Perspectives on Social Problems.

""Ecology and the Judaic Tradition""

""A Jewish View of Economic Justice""

""Jewish Tradition and Capital Punishment""

Jewish Perspectives on Medical Ethics.

""Euthanasia""

""Euthanasia: A Jewish View""

""This Matter of Abortion""

""Judaism and the Justification of Abortion for Non-Medical Reasons""

Jewish Perspectives on Politics and Power: The State of Israel.

""The Ethics Of Jewish Power""

""Feminist Reflections on the State of Israel""

""Living with Conflicting Values""

""The Ethics of Ruling a Jewish State with a Large Non-Jewish Minority""

Epilogue: The Future of Jewish Ethics and Morals

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