Morality in Practice

by James P. Sterba, Peter Bornschein

MORALITY IN PRACTICE uniquely engages students in critical analysis of a wide range of positions on today's moral problems by presenting each chapter in two sections: Alternative Views and Practical Applications. The readings in the Alternative Views section present radically opposed viewpoints on today's most important moral problems. The introductions to each section as well as the selection and arrangement of the readings are designed to overcome crude relativism, demonstrating that some views do turn out to be more defensible than others. The selections in the Practical Applications section of each chapter offer court opinions, resolutions and declarations from various international organizations, and articles which all demonstrate how the broader issues introduced in the Alternative Views section play out in specific practical situation. The general introduction also shows how all the moral problems considered in the anthology are interconnected, such that a solution to any one of these moral problem requires a solution to the others as well.

Genres: Philosophy, Textbooks

736 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Jeremy Garber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful if somewhat overwhelmingly comprehensive introductory ethics text. Strong points include a strong focus on libertarianism, useful in the current political climate and inclusion of computer ethics, gay and lesbian rights, and a focus on our global responsibility. The text attempts to include relevant documents such as court decisions, but these seem unhelpful and I probably won't have students read them. The editor also includes a few too many of his own writings which are not by far the strongest entries in the book. Useful as a supplemental text to springboard discussion of current ethical issues, but I wouldn't recommend it for the primary or only text for an introductory undergraduate class.