Ethics, Left and Right The Moral Issues That Divide Us

by Fischer, Bob

• ISBN13: 9780190882785
• ISBN10: 0190882786
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2019-12-12
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The only contemporary moral problems text to focus directly on the ethics of current, divisive political issues, Ethics, Left and Right features newly commissioned essays on twenty contentious debates, written expressly with undergraduate students in mind. It offers two position pieces on each issue--one left-leaning, one right--followed by a reply from each author, giving you and your students the opportunity to engage in in-depth discussions of serious issues. The essays cover compelling topics including whether we should have an "America First" approach to policy, whether it's okay to have religious tests for immigration, the merits of political correctness, the ethics of voting, whether progressive taxation is legitimate, and what to make of accusations of privilege. Case studies at the end of every main contribution encourage students to examine related problems and/or delve deeper into the current issue.

Author Biography

Bob Fischer is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Texas State University. He is the editor of College Ethics: A Reader on Moral Issues That Affect You (OUP, 2017).

Table of Contents

Introduction
What Are We Doing Here?
Preview
"Ethics," You Say?
Getting Our Bearings
Thinking, Fast and Critically
Making Arguments
Dealing with Data
Moral Theory
Relativism
Going Forward
Readings
John Stuart Mill, "What Utilitarianism Is"
Immanuel Kant, "Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals"
Virginia Held, "The Ethics of Care"
Aristotle, Book II of Nicomachean Ethics
Thomas Hobbes, Excerpt from Leviathan

Chapter 1. Introduction to the Left and Right
Dustin Crummett, "Introduction"
Chad McIntosh, "For All the Right Reasons"
Dustin Crummett, Reply to Mcintosh
Chad McIntosh, Reply to Crummett

Chapter 2. America First
Dan Bonevac, "America First"
Gillian Brock, "Defending the Cosmopolitan Outlook"
Dan Bonevac, Reply to Brock
Gillian Brock, Reply to Bonevac

Chapter 3. Foreign Aid
Nicole Hassoun, "The Case for Foreign Aid"
Jason Brennan, "International Aid"
Nicole Hassoun, Reply to Brennan
Jason Brennan, Reply to Hassoun

Chapter 4. Immigration
Peter Jaworski, "Markets Without Labour Limits"
Hrishikesh Joshi, "For (Some) Immigration Restrictions"
Peter Jaworski, Reply to Joshi
Hrishikesh Joshi, Reply to Jaworski

Chapter 5. Religious Tests
Burkay Ozturk, "Muslim Immigration and the West"
Saba Fatima, "On the Road to Losing Ourselves"
Burkay Ozturk, Reply to Fatima
Saba Fatima, Reply to Ozturk

Chapter 6. Taxation
Bruno Verbeek, "Two Arguments for Progressive Taxation"
Michael Huemer, "Tax Breaks for the Rich"
Bruno Verbeek, Reply to Huemer
Michael Huemer, Reply to Verbeek

Chapter 7. Minimum Wage
Mark R. Reiff, "For a Living Wage"
John F. Gaski, "The Cynical Minimum Wage Hoax"
Mark R. Reiff, Reply to Gaski
John F. Gaski, Reply to Reiff

Chapter 8. Environmental Regulation
Seth Mayer, "Climate Change and Environmental Regulation"
Dan C. Shahar, "Sustaining Growth"
Seth Mayer, Reply to Shahar
Dan C. Shahar, Reply to Mayer

Chapter 9. Right to Healthcare
Sam Fleishacker and Sherry Glied, "In Defense of a Right to Health Care"
Chris Freiman, "Distribute Money, Not Medicine"
Sam Fleishacker and Sherry Glied, Reply to Freiman
Chris Freiman, Reply to Fleishacker and Glied

Chapter 10. Abortion
Chris Tollefsen, "Abortion"
Nathan Nobis, "Early and Later Abortions"
Chris Tollefsen, Reply to Nobis
Nathan Nobis, Reply to Tollefsen

Chapter 11. Political Correctness
Tully Borland, "Against Politically Correct Speech"
Megan Hyska, "In defense of political correctness and against 'political correctness'"
Tully Borland, Reply to Hyska
Megan Hyska, Reply to Borland

Chapter 12. Religious Exceptions
John Corvino, "Religious Belief, Discrimination, and the Law"
Ryan T. Anderson and Sherif Girgis, "Pluralism, Fairness, and Debates about Discrimination"
John Corvino, Reply to Anderson and Girgis
Ryan Anderson and Sherif Girgis, Reply to Corvino

Chapter 13. "Bathroom Bills"
Loren Cannon, "Trans Directed Injustice"
Vaughn Baltzly, "A Conservative Position on the 'Bathroom Battles'"
Loren Cannon, Reply to Baltzly
Vaughn Baltzly, Reply to Cannon

Chapter 14. Privilege
Dan Lowe, "Privilege"
Spencer Case, "White Privilege"
Dan Lowe, Reply to Case
Spencer Case, Reply to Lowe

Chapter 15. Feminism
Philippe Lemoine, "The Trouble with Feminism"
Rebecca Tuvel, "The Case for Feminism"
Philippe Lemoine, Reply to Tuvel
Rebecca Tuvel, Reply to Lemoine

Chapter 16. Removing Historic Monuments
Travis Timmerman, "A Case for Removing Confederate Monuments"
Dan Demetriou, "Ashes of Our Fathers"
Travis Timmerman, Reply to Demetriou
Dan Demetriou, Reply to Timmerman

Chapter 17. Affirmative Action
Stephen Kershnar, "Affirmative Action is Unjust, Wrong, and Bad"
Kristina Meshelski, "Affirmative Action"
Stephen Kershnar, Reply to Meshelski
Kristina Meshelski, Reply to Kershnar

Chapter 18. Racial Profiling
Annabelle Lever, "Against Racial Profiling"
Allan Hillman, "In Defense of Criminal Profiling and Its Racial Component"
Annabelle Lever, Reply to Hillman
Allan Hillman, Reply to Lever

Chapter 19. Guns
Luke Maring, "Police Violence"
Tim Hsiao, "The Moral Case for Gun Ownership"
Luke Maring, Reply to Hsiao
Tim Hsiao, Reply to Maring

Chapter 20. Military Spending
Mark Zelcer, "We Have the Best Military Budget"
Jen Kling, "The U.S. Military Needs to Budget"
Mark Zelcer, Reply to Kling
Jen Kling, Reply to Zelcer

Chapter 21. Voting Ethics
Michael LaBossiere, "Voting for the Lesser Evil"
Patrick Taylor Smith, "The Ethics of Voting Badly"
Michael LaBossiere, Reply to Smith
Patrick Taylor Smith, Reply to LaBossiere