Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Ethics Without God by Kai Nielsen ISBN: 0-87975-552-0 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: January, 1990 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.17 (6 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Clear, Strong, Successful Argument
Comment: Nielsen argues that morality does not depend on belief in God or belief in immortality. We should treat people well because we love and respect them, not because God commands us or because we fear punishment. He believes we can invent our own moral systems and our own purposes. To assume an intrinsic human function or purpose would be to treat people as means, rather than ends, as if we were robots designed for a task. Though he writes from a defensive position, he holds his ground well. He is not afraid to take a stand, controversial though it may be, especially in 1972 when it was first published.
As far as I can tell, Nielsen is a theist. He doesn't take the classical idea of God to task at all--he just wants God to stay out of ethics (much as someone might want the government to stay out of private matters or other countries' business, without rejecting the legitimacy, rightness, and existence of the government itself). To this extent, he has a kindred spirit in the former Bishop Richard Holloway, who recently published "Godless Morality."
Some passages restate a simple point over and over, like the chapter on the utilitarian value of human life towards the end of the book. And at the beginning of the book, I would have preferred that he not have expended so much energy on playing the game of classical theology, which I find to be a waste of time. But overall it was well-structured and made good use of space.
A familiarity with the writing style of 20th century analytic philosophy is recommended, but not necessary. This book will answer beginners' questions and give them a lot of ideas to work with and names of other philosophers to cross-reference. Those who have already given the matter extended consideration will probably not discover anything new in this book, but it is still worth a read, as a clear, comprehensive, sensible, and well-researched introduction to the issue.
Rating: 5
Summary: Tough Questions
Comment: Difficult for a non-philosopher (i.e., "me"), but not too difficult to read with pleasure. Can a Christian also be a good person? The question is no mere provocation; there are serious philosophical problems in reconciling fidelity to God and ethical behavior. This book doesn't take on hate-mongers hiding behind Bibles, but rather the pure question of good and evil in people of honest motives.
His most memorable argument seems to go like this:
Ought we to obey the will of God? Of course we should, the believer answers. But why? Because He is almighty and powerful and will punish us if we do not obey? Well, then, obeying God is no better than obeying Stalin and Hitler. Or because he is always good? In that case, you invoke something within you, some discernment of "good," that you apply even to an order from the deity. So why not dispense with the cumbersome deity altogether, and focus on the internal discernment?
Rating: 2
Summary: Weak Defense of Ethics Without God
Comment: 2 stars
Weak Defense of Ethics Without God
In Ethics Without God, Kai Nielsen forcefully refutes the myth that one cannot be moral without believing in God. However, that is also not very interesting, for theistic philosophers generally would agree with him. Instead, theistic philosophers argue that only theism can (1) explain the fact that objective moral values exist, and (2) offer a reason for behaving morally. Unfortunately, while Nielsen does provide a minimal discussion of the latter claim, his discussion of the former claim is
virtually nonexistent. ...
 |
Title: Atheism, Morality, and Meaning (Prometheus Lecture Series) by Michael Martin ISBN: 1573929875 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: October, 2002 List Price(USD): $21.00 |
 |
Title: Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith ISBN: 087975124X Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: June, 1980 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
 |
Title: The Impossibility of God by Michael Martin, Ricki Monnier ISBN: 1591021200 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: December, 2003 List Price(USD): $32.00 |
 |
Title: The Case Against Christianity by Michael Martin ISBN: 1566390818 Publisher: Temple Univ Press Pub. Date: March, 1993 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
 |
Title: The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold by Acharya S ISBN: 0932813747 Publisher: Adventures Unlimited Press Pub. Date: September, 1999 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
