Ethics Matters

by Charlotte Vardy, Peter Vardy

Overview

How do we know the difference between right and wrong? How can we make decisions about issues from germ-line genetic engineering to the regulation of banking, from nuclear power to ethnic bioweapons, from end-of-life care to global warming? What does it mean to live a good life? Ethics Matters introduces students and general readers to the business of making moral decisions, engaging them in meaningful dialogue and inspiring them to find out more. Beginning with a discussion of the question of truth in Ethics, Peter and Charlotte Vardy outline and evaluate major approaches to doing ethics from Natural Law and Virtue Ethics to Situation Ethics and Postmodernism, considering how these might inform decision making in today's world. Ethics Matters places the latest scholarship in context, clarifying how it relates to today's biggest challenges, without in any sense 'dumbing down'. The style is engaging and accessible; good use is made of examples from film, literature and current affairs to shine a light on the fundamental philosophic questions which underpin practical dilemmas. A new web site, www.what-matters.org provides recommendations for further reading, a rich anthology of primary texts, questions for discussion and related activities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780334043911
Publisher:	Hymns Ancient & Modern
Publication date:	04/30/2012
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Charlotte Vardy is an experienced secondary-school teacher of Philosophy and Religious Studies and tutored at the University of London for seven years.
She currently speaks at teacher-training and student events around the world and works as a consultant for charities and educational organizations.



Peter Vardy was Vice-Principal of Heythrop College, University of London, from 1999-2011.
He lectures extensively to teachers and students around the world and his bestselling books are a fixture on reading lists, known for being accessible and entertaining without oversimplifying complex material.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Introduction xiii

Part 1 Meta-ethics 1

1 Truth in Ethics 3

2 Moral Realism 8

3 Relativism 17

Part 2 Normative Ethics 27

4 Normative Ethics 29

5 Natural Law 33

6 Natural Law and Virtue Ethics Today 62

7 Classical Utilitarianism 79

8 Developments in Utilitarianism 106

9 Situation Ethics 120

10 Kantian Ethics 132

11 Two Roads Diverge 163

Part 3 Applied Ethics 177

12 Abortion, IVF, PGD, Germ-line Therapy and Embryonic Stem-Cell Research 179

13 Euthanasia 199

14 Business Ethics 213

15 Environmental Ethics 230

16 The Ethics of Warfare 243

Conclusion: Ethics Matters 263

17 Freedom and Conscience 265

18 Ethics Matters 278

Index 285

Editorial Reviews

'An enlightening guide to those moral questions that don't go away. It should go to every politician, civil servant, teacher and bishop; not to mention the rest of thoughtful humanity!

Dr Kenneth Wolfe

'Wow! I wish I could lock myself away for a few weeks and really do justice to the book. It makes me hope to win the lotto and go off and study philosophy without the cares of the "job"!

Helen Smith

'The best introduction to ethics textbook at A Level bar none...'

Philippe Mathieu

'For anyone wishing to wrestle with the key ethical issues of the 21st Century, 'Ethics Matters' is required reading.

Esmond Lee