Applied Ethics: The Philosophy of Right and Wrong

by Isabel Gois, Christopher Woodard

Overview

This book is an introduction and guide to some of the pressing contemporary problems in applied ethics. Beginning with an introduction which charts the distinctive contribution philosophy can make practical issues, it addresses six problems: What are the moral restrictions (if any) on the human consumption of non-human animals? Should we protect free speech, even where it does harm? Is abortion morally permissible? Is affirmative action ever justifiable? How should healthcare and education be fairly distributed (and who should pay)? Is consent sufficient to render a sexual act morally permissible?

The book has been expressly written and designed as an e-book, with short, easily digestible chapters, suggestions for further reading, questions to stimulate further thought and a helpful glossary. The chapters are self-contained, so can be read individually or in any order. The book as a whole serves as an ideal introduction to applied ethics, suitable for undergraduate students and any interested reader.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940152430882
Publisher:	University of Nottingham
Publication date:	10/22/2015
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	938,493
File size:	474 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

I came to Nottingham from Warwick in 2002. My research interests are in utilitarian approaches to normative ethics and political philosophy. In normative ethics I have a distinctive theory of pattern-based reasons. These are reasons to contribute to patterns of action that are good or right; such patterns might be extended plans, or collective actions. Most philosophers believe either that such reasons do not exist, or that they exist only in cooperative contexts. I claim that they exist even in uncooperative contexts, when there is no prospect of the rest of the pattern being realized. The result is an ethical theory that is similar to, but more general than, Rule Consequentialism. I defend this theory in my book, Reasons, Patterns, and Cooperation. I am also working on wellbeing, and I am especially interested in hybrid views of it. I am currently writing a book with the working title Taking Utilitarianism Seriously.