Ethics For Dummies

An easy-to-grasp guide to addressing the principles of ethics and applying them to daily life

How do you define "good" versus "evil?" Do you know the difference between moral "truth" and moral relativity? Whether or not you know Aristotle from Hume, Ethics For Dummies will get you comfortable with the centuries-old study of ethical philosophy quickly and effectively!

Ethics For Dummies is a practical, friendly guide that takes the headache out of the often-confusing subject of ethics. In plain English, it examines the controversial facets of ethical thought, explores the problem of evil, demystifies the writings and theories of such great thinkers through the ages as Aristotle, Confucius, Descartes, Kant, Nietzsche, and so much more.

• Provides the tools to tackle and understand today's important questions and ethical dilemmas
• Shows you how to apply the concepts and theories of ethical philosophy to your everyday life
• Other title by Panza: Existentialism For Dummies

Whether you're currently enrolled in an ethics course or are interested in living a good life but are vexed with ethical complexities, Ethics For Dummies has you covered!

Introduction 1

Part I: Ethics 101: Just the Basics, Please 7

Chapter 1: Approaching Ethics: What Is It and Why Should You Care? 9

Chapter 2: Butting Heads: Is Ethics Just a Matter of Opinion? 19

Part II: Uncovering the Roots of Ethics 35

Chapter 3: Human Nature and Ethics: Two Big Questions 37

Chapter 4: Exploring Connections between Ethics, Religion, and Science 55

Chapter 5: Seeing Ethics as Harmful: Three Famous Criticisms 73

Part III: Surveying Key Ethical Theories 93

Chapter 6: Being an Excellent Person: Virtue Ethics 95

Chapter 7: Increasing the Good: Utilitarian Ethics 121

Chapter 8: Doing Your Duty: The Ethics of Principle 143

Chapter 9: Signing on the Dotted Line: Ethics as Contract 171

Chapter 10: The Golden Rule: Common Sense Ethics 187

Chapter 11: Turning Down the Testosterone: Feminist Care Ethics 207

Part IV: Applying Ethics to Real Life 227

Chapter 12: Dealing with Mad Scientists: Biomedical Ethics 229

Chapter 13: Protecting the Habitat: Environmental Ethics 247

Chapter 14: Serving the Public: Professional Ethics 269

Chapter 15: Keeping the Peace: Ethics and Human Rights 281

Chapter 16: Getting It On: The Ethics of Sex 299

Chapter 17: Looking Out for the Little Guy: Ethics and Animals 313

Part V: The Part of Tens 329

Chapter 18: Ten Famous Ethicists and Their Theories 331

Chapter 19: Ten Ethical Dilemmas Likely to Arise in the Future 337

Index 343

Christopher Panza, PhD, is an associate professor of philosophy at Drury University and coauthor of Existentialism For Dummies.

Adam Potthast, PhD, is an assistant professor of philosophy at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Discover the foundations of ethics and how to apply them to your everyday life

What's the difference between right and wrong? Do you know John Stuart Mill from Thomas Hobbes? This helpful guide gets you comfortable with the centuries-old study of ethical philosophy quickly and effectively! In plain English, it examines ethical thought, explains the writings and theories of great thinkers, and so much more.

• Get a handle — understand the basic issues and questions of ethics, and why you should care about integrating ethics into your own life

• Dig up the dirt — investigate whether human nature and ethics are related and delve into the connections (and disconnects) between ethics and religion and ethics and science

• Look behind the curtain — get familiar with the key ethical theories you need to know, such as virtue ethics, Kantian ethics, and utilitarianism

• Apply, apply, apply — discover the many ways ethics has been applied to the real world, from biomedical ethics to human rights and everything in between

• Grasp the lingo — learn some basic ethical vocabulary and how ethics relates to culture and opinion

Open the book and find:

• Insight into whether humans are naturally good or evil

• The role of religion and science in ethics

• Challenges facing ethics

• The importance of being a virtuous person

• The ethics of consequences

• Why the Golden Rule is universal

• How to apply ethics to real life

• What the ethics of principle really means

• Ethical disagreements between individuals and cultures

• A feminist approach to care ethics

Learn to:

• Demystify the ethical writings of Aristotle, Confucius, and other famous philosophers

• Examine controversial aspects of ethical thought

• Tackle and understand today's important questions and dilemmas