Introduction to ethics : a reader / edited by Andrew J. Dell'Olio and Caroline J. Simon.

Includes bibliographical references.

Chapter 1. Ethics: Thinking about Right Conduct -- Chapter 2. Religion and Morality -- The Bible -- The Qur'an -- The Bhagavad Gita -- "God and the Basis of Morality" / Kai Nielsen -- "Commands for Grown-ups" / Richard J. Mouw -- Parliament of the World's Religions, "Declaration Toward a Global Ethic" -- Study Questions -- For Further Reading -- Chapter 3. Moral Relativism -- "Statement on Human Rights" / American Anthropological Association -- "The Case Against Ethical Relativism" / Louis Pojman -- "Moral Relativism Defended" / Gilbert Harman -- "Female Circumcision/Genital Mutilation and Ethical Relativism" / Loretta M. Kopelman -- Study Questions -- For Further Reading -- Chapter 4. Natural Law Theory -- Summa Theologica / St. Thomas Aquinas -- "The Scholastic Theory of Moral Law in the Modern World" / Alan Donagan -- "Toward Understanding the Principle of Double Effect" / Joseph M. Boyle Jr. -- "The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of the Double Effect" / Philippa Foot -- Study Questions -- For Further Reading -- Chapter 5. Utilitarianism -- Utilitarianism / John Stuart Mill -- "A Critique of Utilitarianism" / Bernard Williams -- "Rule-Consequentialism" / Brad Hooker -- "The Singer Solution to World Poverty" / Peter Singer -- Study Questions -- For Further Reading -- Chapter 6. Ethics of Duty -- Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals / Immanuel Kant -- "Kantian Ethics" / Marcia Baron -- "What Makes Right Acts Right?" / W.D. Ross -- "Killing, Letting Die, and the Trolley Problem" / Judith Jarvis Thomson -- Study Questions -- For Further Reading -- Chapter 7. Virtue Ethics -- Nicomachean Ethics / Aristotle -- Analects / Confucius -- An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals / David Hume -- "The Nature of the Virtues" / Aladair MacIntyre -- "Ideals of Human Excellence and Preserving Natural Environments" / Thomas E. Hill Jr. -- Study Questions -- For Further Reading -- Chapter 8. Challenges to Traditional Moral Theory -- "Morality, the Peculiar Institution" / Bernard Williams -- "The Natural History of Morals" / Friedrich Nietzsche -- "Feminism and Moral Theory" / Virginia Held -- "The Demands of Identity" / Kwame Anthony Appiah -- "Nihilism in Black America" / Cornel West -- Study Questions -- For Further Reading -- Chapter 9. Living a Good Life -- "Philosophy as a Way of Life" / Pierre Hadot -- Phaedo / Plato -- Republic / Plato -- "The Enchiridion, or Manual" / Epictetus -- "The Tao Te Ching" / Lao-Tzu -- "The Ethic of Compassion" / Dalai Lama -- Study Questions -- For Further Reading.

""This is a wonderful collection of essays with splendid introductions. Andrew Dell'Olio and Caroline Simon have provided a book that begs to be taught and invites reflection not just about moral theory but about our moral lives."--Allen Verhey, Duke Divinity School" ""This is an excellent introductory ethics reader. Selections are wisely chosen with attention paid to both theoretical and applied ethics, classical and contemporary authors, Eastern and Western traditions, and religious and nonreligious perspectives. The well-written introductions to the selections and the helpful study questions will prove useful to both student and instructor."--Kelly Clark, Calvin College" "As the perfect companion to introduction to ethics courses, Dell'Olio and Simon's reader includes the most influential ethical theories without overwhelming the beginning student. It contains a variety of readings encompassing contemporary and classic philosophers, male and female perspectives of both Western and non-Western ethical traditions, and readings in both theoretical and applied ethics. Introduction to ethics comprises thirty-seven essays divided into nine chapters. The first chapter introduces the nature of moral theory with a brief account of the different moral theories that will follow in the text. Chapters 2 through 8 are each devoted to a particular moral theory with readings that represent the position and those who challenge it, accompanied by an application of the theory to a particular moral problem. Finally, chapter 9 offers readings in practical guidance on "living a good life." Each chapter has a brief introduction that provides an overview of the selection with pointers on what to note as the selection is read and concludes with a series of thought-provoking study questions and a list of further readings, making it easier for students to understand and appreciate their reading."--Jacket.