D O I N G E T H I C S
‘’ Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues
F I F T H E D I T I O N
Lewis Vaughn
n W . W . N O R T O N & C O M P A N Y , I N C .
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iii
C O N T E N T S
‘’ P r e f a c e x i x
P A R T 1 : F U N D A M E N T A L S
C H A P T E R 1 Ethics and the Examined Life 3
The Ethical Landscape 5
The Elements of Ethics 6
The Preeminence of Reason 6
Quick Review 7
The Universal Perspective 7
The Principle of Impartiality 7
The Dominance of Moral Norms 8
Religion and Morality 8
Believers Need Moral Reasoning 9
When Conflicts Arise, Ethics Steps In 9
Moral Philosophy Enables Productive Discourse 9
Critical Thought—Ethics, Religion, And Tough Moral Issues 1 0
SUMMARY 1 1
KEY TERMS 1 2
REVIEW QUESTIONS 1 2
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1 2
ETHICAL DILEMMAS 1 3
FURTHER READING 1 3
R E A D I N G S
What Is the Socratic Method? by Christopher Phillips 1 4
The Euthyphro by Plato 1 6
C H A P T E R 2 Subjectivism, Relativism, and Emotivism 2 0
Subjective Relativism 2 1
Quick Review 2 1
Judge Not? 2 2
Cultural Relativism 2 3
Critical Thought—“Female Circumcision” And Cultural Relativism 2 4
Emotivism 2 8
SUMMARY 3 0
KEY TERMS 3 1
REVIEW QUESTIONS 3 1
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 3 1
ETHICAL DILEMMAS 3 2
FURTHER READING 3 2
R E A D I N G S
Anthropology and the Abnormal by Ruth Benedict 3 3
Trying Out One’s New Sword by Mary Midgley 3 5
P A R T 2 : M O R A L R E A S O N I N G
C H A P T E R 3 Evaluating Moral Arguments 4 1
Claims and Arguments 4 1
Arguments Good and Bad 4 3
Critical Thought—The Moralit y Of Critical Thinking 4 4
Implied Premises 4 7
Quick Review 4 7
Deconstructing Arguments 48
Moral Statements and Arguments 5 1
Testing Moral Premises 5 4
Assessing Nonmoral Premises 5 5
Quick Review 5 5
Á CONTENTSiv
Avoiding Bad Arguments 5 6
Begging the Question 5 6
Equivocation 5 7
Appeal to Authority 5 7
Appeal To Emotion 5 7
Slippery Slope 5 8
Faulty Analogy 5 8
Appeal to Ignorance 5 8
Straw Man 5 9
Appeal to the Person 5 9
Hasty Generalization 5 9
Quick Review 6 0
Writing and Speaking about Moral Issues 6 0
SUMMARY 6 2
KEY TERMS 6 2
REVIEW QUESTIONS 6 3
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 6 3
ARGUMENT EXERCISES 6 3
FURTHER READING 6 4
C H A P T E R 4 The Power of Moral Theories 6 5
Theories of Right and Wrong 6 5
Moral Theories Versus Moral Codes 6 6
Major Theories 6 7
Consequentialist Theories 6 7
Nonconsequentialist Theories 6 8
Quick Review 6 9
Evaluating Theories 7 0
Criterion 1: Consistency with Considered Moral Judgments 7 1
Considered Moral Judgment s 7 2
Criterion 2: Consistency with Our Moral Experiences 7 2
Critical Thought—A 100 Percent All-Natural Theory 7 3
Criterion 3: Usefulness in Moral Problem Solving 7 3
CONTENTS Á v
Quick Review 7 4
Devising a Coherent Moral Theory 7 4
Moral Common Sense 7 4
Building a Moral Theory 7 5
Prima Facie Principles 7 6
Three Rules 7 7
Self-Evidence 8 0
SUMMARY 8 1
KEY TERMS 8 1
REVIEW QUESTIONS 8 1
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 8 2
ETHICAL DILEMMAS 8 2
FURTHER READING 8 2
P A R T 3 : T H E O R I E S O F M O R A L I T Y
C H A P T E R 5 Consequentialist Theories: Maximize the Good 8 5
Ethical Egoism 8 5
Applying the Theory 8 6
Evaluating the Theory 8 7
Can Ethical Egoism Be Advocated? 8 9
Quick Review 9 1
Utilitarianism 9 1
Applying the Theory 9 4
Peter Singer, Utilitarian 9 5
Quick Review 9 6
Evaluating the Theory 9 6
Learning from Utilitarianism 1 0 0
Social Contract Theory 1 0 0
Critical Thought—Cross-Species Transplant s: What Would A Utilitarian Do? 1 0 1
Hobbes’s Theory 1 0 1
Evaluating the Theory 1 0 2
Á CONTENTSvi
CONTENTS Á vii
SUMMARY 1 0 4
KEY TERMS 1 0 5
REVIEW QUESTIONS 1 0 5
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1 0 5
ETHICAL DILEMMAS 1 0 6
FURTHER READING 1 0 6
R E A D I N G S
Egoism and Altruism by Louis P. Pojman 1 0 7
Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill 1 1 1
A Theory of Justice by John Rawls 1 1 5
The Entitlement Theory of Justice by Robert Nozick 1 2 2
C H A P T E R 6 Nonconsequentialist Theories: Do Your Duty 1 3 2
Kant’s Ethics 1 3 2
Critical Thought—Sizing Up The Golden Rule 1 3 4
Applying the Theory 1 3 5
Evaluating the Theory 1 3 6
Kant, Respect, And Personal Right s 1 3 7
Learning from Kant’s Theory 1 3 8
Natural Law Theory 1 3 9
Applying the Theory 1 4 1
Quick Review 1 4 1
Critical Thought—Double Effect And The “Trolley Problem” 1 4 2
Evaluating the Theory 1 4 2
Learning from Natural Law 1 4 3
SUMMARY 1 4 4
KEY TERMS 1 4 4
REVIEW QUESTIONS 1 4 4
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1 4 5
ETHICAL DILEMMAS 1 4 5
FURTHER READING 1 4 6
R E A D I N G S
Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals by Immanuel Kant 1 4 6
Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas 1 5 5
Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives by Philippa Foot 1 6 5
C H A P T E R 7 Virtue Ethics: Be a Good Person 1 7 2
The Ethics of Virtue 1 7 2
Critical Thought—Learning Virtues In The Classroom 1 7 3
Virtue in Action 1 7 4
Evaluating Virtue Ethics 1 7 4
Critical Thought—Warrior Virtues And Moral Disagreement s 1 7 6
Quick Review 1 7 7
Learning from Virtue Ethics 1 7 7
SUMMARY 1 7 7
KEY TERMS 1 7 8
REVIEW QUESTIONS 1 7 8
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1 7 8
ETHICAL DILEMMAS 1 7 8
FURTHER READING 1 7 9
