• Concise introductions to major ethical theories in Chapter 1 prepare students for the diversity of readings that follow. Moral problems receive both classical and contemporary coverage, encompassing a wide range of positions and arguments.
• Rigorous learning aids, including study and discussion questions, summaries of conclusions and arguments, and biographical information on philosophers, enable students to more rapidly identify and understand the key ideas developed in each reading.
• Challenging problem cases in each chapter help students examine and debate ethical ideas in a "real world" context.
• New chapters on financial crisis, world poverty and hunger, vegetarianism, and assassination.
• Additional new readings in every chapter, including, David McNally: From Financial Crisis to World Slump; Paul Krugman: The Return of Depression Economics; Nomi Prins and Christopher Hayes: Meet the Hazzards; Michael W. Brough, John W. Lango, and Harry van der Linden: Just War Principles; Neta C. Crawford: The Slippery Slope to Preventive War; Thomas Nagel: What Is Wrong with Terrorism?; Alan Dershowitz: The Case for Torturing the Ticking Bomb Terrorist; Uwe Steinhoff: The Case for Dirty Harry and against Alan Dershowitz; Whitley R. P. Kaufman: Rethinking the Ban on Assassination: Just War Principles in the Age of Terror; Daniel Statman: Targeted Killing.
• New problem cases on adultery, health care, bullfighting, sweatshops, executive compensation, the war in Afghanistan, assassinating Americans, the Trolly Problem, Invisible hand and the prisoner’s dilemma, and others.
• New readings in every chapter, including, Hilde Lindemann: What is Feminist Ethics?; Eugene Mills: The Egg and I: Conception, Identity, and Abortion; Dan W. Brock: Voluntary Active Euthanasia; David Boonin: Same-Sex Marriage and the Argument from Public Disagreement; Bonnie Steinbock: Speciesism and the Idea of Equality; Alastair Norcross: Puppies, Pigs, and People: Eating Meat and Marginal Cases; Thomas Pogge: World Poverty and Hunger; John McMillan: Antipoverty Warriors; Peter Singer: Famine, Affluence, and Morality; Garett Hardin: Living on a Lifeboat; Niall Ferguson: The Descent of Money.
• Updated factual background for each chapter.
• New suggested readings.

Preface.

1. ETHICAL THEORIES.

Introduction. James Rachels: Egoism and Moral Skepticism. John Arthur: . Religion, Morality, and Conscience. Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Natural Law. David Hume: Morality is based on Sentiment. Mary Midgley: Trying Out One’s New Sword. John Stuart Mill: Utilitarianism. Immanuel Kant: The Categorical Imperative. Aristotle: Happiness and Virtue. John Rawls: A Theory of Justice. Hilde Lindemann: What is Feminist Ethics? Problem Cases. Suggested Readings.

2. ABORTION.

Introduction. The U.S. Supreme Court: Excerpts from Roe v. Wade (1973). John T. Noonan, Jr.: An Almost Absolute Value in History. Judith Jarvis Thomson: A Defense of Abortion. Mary Anne Warren: On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion. Don Marquis: An Argument that Abortion is Wrong. Eugene Mills: The Egg and I: Conception, Identity, and Abortion. Problem Cases. Suggested Readings.

3. EUTHANASIA AND THE DUTY TO DIE. 

Introduction. James Rachels: Active and Passive Euthanasia. Bonnie Steinbock: The Intentional Termination of Life. Dan W. Brock: Voluntary Active Euthanasia. John Hardwig: Is There a Duty to Die? Problem Cases. Suggested Readings.

4. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

Introduction. The U.S. Supreme Court: Gregg v. Georgia (1976). Immanuel Kant: The Retributive Theory of Punishment. Ernest van den Haag: The Ultimate Punishment. Jeffrey H. Reiman: Against the Death Penalty. Problem Cases. Suggested Readings.

5. SAME-SEX MARRIAGE.

Introduction. Jeff Jordan: Is it Wrong to Discriminate on the Basis of Homosexuality? David Boonin: Same-Sex Marriage and the Argument From. Public Disagreement. Jonathan Rauch: Who Needs Marriage? Maggie Gallagher: What Marriage is For. Problem Cases. Suggested Readings.

6. ANIMAL LIBERATION AND VEGETARIANISM.

Introduction. Immanuel Kant: Our Duties to Animals. Peter Singer: All Animals Are Equal. Bonnie Steinbock: Speciesism and the Idea of Equality. Alastair Norcross: Puppies, Pigs, and People: Eating. Meat and Marginal Cases. Problem Cases. Suggested Readings.

7. WORLD POVERTY AND HUNGER.

Introduction. Thomas Pogge: World Poverty and Hunger. John McMillan: Antipoverty Warriors. Peter Singer: Famine, Affluence, and Morality. Garett Hardin: Living on a Lifeboat. Problem Cases. Suggested Readings.

8. FINANCIAL CRISIS.

Introduction. Niall Ferguson: The Descent of Money. David McNally: From Financial Crisis to World Slump. Paul Krugman: The Return of Depression Economics. Nomi Prins and Christopher Hayes: Meet the Hazzards. Problem Cases. Suggested Readings.

9. WAR AND TERRORISM.

Introduction. Douglas P. Lackey: Pacifism. Michael W. Brough, John W. Lango, and Harry van der Linden: Just War Principles. Neta C. Crawford: The Slippery Slope to Preventive War. Laurie Calhoun: The Terrorist’s Tacit Message. Thomas Nagel: What Is Wrong with Terrorism? David Luban: The War on Terrorism and the End of Human Rights. Problem Cases. Suggested Readings.

10. TORTURE.

Introduction. Alan Dershowitz: The Case for Torturing the Ticking Bomb Terrorist. David Luban: Liberalism, Torture and the Ticking Bomb. Uwe Steinhoff: The Case for Dirty Harry and against Alan Dershowitz. Problem Cases. Suggested Readings.

11. ASSASSINATION.

Introduction. Whitley R. P. Kaufman: Rethinking the Ban on Assassination: Just War Principles in the Age of Terror. Daniel Statman: Targeted Killing. Problem Cases. Suggested Readings.

James E. White, St. Cloud State University

James E. White received a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado and is retired after teaching at Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota.