Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Firmly established as the standard text for undergraduate courses in ethics, this concise, lively book combines clear explanations of the main theories of ethics with discussions of interesting examples. Topics covered include famine relief, euthanasia, homosexuality, and the treatment of animals. The text's versatility allows it to be widely used not only in ethical theory courses, but also in applied ethics courses of all kinds. .
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Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...
 Ethics for Dummies! September 8, 2008
I purcahsed this book and its sister book (The Right Thing To Do) for my Ethics course in college, by far this book is more helpful than the other text, as it takes the ethical theories and dilemas and relates them to real world cases and provides explanations as to the reasons why something is so much better than the sister book does. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has ever struggled in a Philosophy course. It is much easier to read and comprehend than the sister text and more aptly applies the theories to the real world in which we live, thereby making ethics a lot more eaier to understand and recognize.
 Excellent Condition September 8, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The product arrived promptly and was in great condition! The seller provided accurate information in the description and had excellent service!
fantastic book August 2, 2008
This is a great book. it is very easy to read. Great for beginners or others who find reading original writings of major philosophers difficult.
Although "Sketchy" at Times, a Good Start... March 2, 2008
As professor Rachels' states in his Preface:
"Socrates, one of the first and best moral philosophers, said that the subject deals with "no small matter, but how we ought to live"
He goes on to say that, he has approached the subject in a "broad" sense, an introduction to this important branch of philosophy known as Ethics.
In issues like Euthanasia and Abortion, in terms of the nature of morality, he states that moral judements MUST (emphasis my own) be backed by good reasons; and that, also, an idividual's choice on such matters, should, if possible, be "impartial".
To be fair, in terms of Ethics, "impartiality" is highly improbable, as notions of Right and Wrong do in fact change over time. There is no such thing as "facts" in the realm of the Humanities because life moves forward, opinions change, though sound argument is the key to this subject.
(This is not to say that I'm promoting Relativism, however, culture and time do play a major part in any cultures notions of morality.)
The subjects covered:
What is Morality?
The Challenge of Cultural Relativism.
Subjectivism in Ethics.
Are There Absolute Moral Rules?
(Kant's "Categorical Imperative)
The Ethics of Virtue.
(Aristotle)
In terms of classroom discussion, Ethics, (unless the students are all suffering from the night before) can get quite heated and exciting.
As far as a "Brush Stroke" on a major branch of philosophy, Rachels', in my opinion has pulled it off - particularly for first year university students.
Recommended.
Asking All The Right Questions February 9, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
"The Elements of Moral Philosophy" is a fabulous, non-technical introduction to ethics. The writing is clear and historically informed, the main schools of thought are covered, and Rachels doesn't pretend that he's found all the answers to very difficult questions. I can't think of a better book for a college student who is new to philosophical ethics and wants to get a feel for how philosophers approach these issues.
I was struck by the handful of super-negative Amazon reviews. I suspect they were written by students who were forced to read the book for a class and either expected something else or were put off by Rachels' respectful but negative treatment of religious-based ethics. Ignore them.
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