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Title: The Elements of Moral Philosophy by Behrouz A. Forouzan, James Rachels ISBN: 0-07-119876-8 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies Pub. Date: January, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.06 (17 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Excellent Introductory Text
Comment: People often argue about particular moral issues, and often enter into debates with entirely different conceptions of how morality works, with different metaethical frameworks. Some people believe that which is moral is that which maximizes happiness, while other people believe that there are absolute moral rules which should never be transgressed (even if this were to increase happiness), still others believe that there are no objective, universal moral principles at all. This book is a clear and thorough introduction to moral philosophy. Rachels explores Cultural Relativism, Subjectivism, Divine Command Theory, Ethical Egoism, Utilitarianism, Kantian Ethics, Social Contract Theory, Virtue Ethics and other currently relevant issues in ethics. Each ethical theory is described quite systematically and Rachels offers the popular arguments both for and against each theory. But the text isn't dry or tiring; the book is enjoyable and easy to read, and Rachels offers many colourful examples to illustrate his points. As with almost all philosophy texts, introductory or otherwise, and especially when ethics is the subject and such topics as affirmative action and abortion are discussed, albeit briefly, don't expect to agree with every argument of the author. The book ends with suggestions for further reading for each chapter, which may also be very helpful. This book was prescribed for a course in moral philosophy I attended, but I recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. This review refers to the third edition of this book.
Rating: 5
Summary: A great text for intro level ethics courses
Comment: I use this book (in conjunction with _The Right Thing to Do_, edited by Rachels) as a text for an intro-level ethics course that I teach. I can't recommend it highly enough. Rachels is a sharp philosopher, as well as an interesting and lucid writer. In this book he covers all the basics (Divine Command Theory, Cultural Relativism, Subjectivism, Utilitarianism, Kant...), and does a fine job of drawing examples from applied ethics (gay rights, euthanasia, animal rights...) to illustrate the theories he discusses. This is not to suggest that you will find no fault with any of Rachels' arguments. I myself am less than satisfied with his criticisms of emotivism and Kantianism -- but all things considered, this a minor complaint. The book still deserves five stars. If you are teaching ethics at the college level and are looking for an introductory level text, suitable for students with no previous exposure to philosophy, this is the one -- I know of none better.
Rating: 2
Summary: Look for other Elements
Comment: Having just completed another semester at UAB in which this book was mandatory for a class, I thought it might be appropriate to make a few comments concerning it. To my knowledge, James Rachels' Elements of Moral Philosophy has been a best-selling introductory textbook to moral philosophy. Formally I can see why: it is a short, succint book from a literate philosopher that covers several of the most prominent moral attitudes in contemporary philosophy. Because it is an introductory text, it rarely goes into too much detail.
I say that as a general rule. It is telling, however, that some of Rachels' greatest profusion comes in Chapter Four, titled something like, "Is Morality Dependent on Religion?" In keeping with the tenor of the entire work, Rachels' answer to this is a resounding, frustrated, "No!" What does he substitute instead? "Reason!"
The only problem here, Dr. Rachels (who is recently deceased, and if the UAB philosophy brass ever sees the post I will not stay on their favorite students list), is that your basis for morality is a reification (i.e., a regarding of something that is non-substantive or that is a process as an actually existing thing; to use Bahnsen's example, "the winds of change" or "the federal government")!
"Reason" is an abstraction we use to refer to the process of reasoning, in which we take certain propositions and combine them with other propositions to reach conclusions (loosely put, of course). Rachels does not even mention this; and it ends up stultifying every single one of the arguments in his book. It must be noted that he cannot admit a correlation between metaphysics and reason (or logic) because then he would not be able to assure his self-projection as an autonomous and capable knower a stable throne in the realm of moral epistemology.
That said, the book isn't even thoughtful. And I'm being charitable here. Rachels employs the most puerile objections and arguments imaginable (and some that defy the faculty of the imagination) in almost every chapter of his book. The popularity of this work simply confirms to me that, as Paul tells us in Romans chapter one, not only do men practice their benighted works (including intellectual works like this one), but they also "heartily approve" of those that do likewise.
The two stars I gave it is common grace, pure and simple.
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Title: The Right Thing To Do: Basic Readings in Moral Philosophy by James Rachels ISBN: 0072476915 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages Pub. Date: 14 June, 2002 List Price(USD): $49.00 |
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Title: Vice and Virtue in Everyday Life: Introductory Readings in Ethics by Christina Sommers, Fred Sommers ISBN: 0155067966 Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing Pub. Date: 20 July, 2000 List Price(USD): $71.95 |
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Title: A Right to Die: The Dax Cowart Case - An Ethical Case Study on CD-ROM ISBN: 0415917530 Publisher: Routledge Pub. Date: 30 July, 1996 List Price(USD): $75.00 |
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Title: Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill, George Sher ISBN: 087220605X Publisher: Hackett Pub Co Pub. Date: June, 2002 List Price(USD): $3.95 |
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Title: The Nicomachean Ethics (OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSICS) by Aristotle, David Ross, W. D. Ross, J. L. Ackrill, J. O. Urmson ISBN: 019283407X Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: July, 1998 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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