Ethics
A Very Short Introduction
-
-
3.7 • 3 Ratings
-
-
- $7.99
Publisher Description
Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring
Our self-image as moral, well-behaved creatures is dogged by scepticism, relativism, hypocrisy, and nihilism, and by the fear that in a Godless world science has unmasked us as creatures fated by our genes to be selfish and tribalistic, or competitive and aggressive. Here, Simon Blackburn tackles the major moral questions surrounding birth, death, happiness, desire, and freedom, showing us how we should think about the meaning of life, and why we should mistrust the soundbite-sized absolutes that often dominate moral debates.
This second edition of the Very Short Introduction on Ethics has revised and updated aspects of the original to reflect changing times and mores. It highlights the importance of an understanding of approaches to ethics and its foundations, confronted as we are with a fluid and uncertain world of eroding trust, swirling conspiracy theories, and a dismaying loss of respect in public discourse.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Customer Reviews
Good but with reservations
I think a more straightforward exposition of the various approaches to thinking about ethics—consequentialism, contractualism, moral sentiments, etc—would have been more helpful. As it is, one theory bleeds into the next, making distinctions hard to follow. Also, I’m not sure of the value of either the first or last chapter. The first chapter seems to beg the question; he seems to want us to reject divine will or moral relativism, because they lead to our accepting things that seem repugnant—but are they really repugnant or just repugnant to us? And why are they repugnant? The third chapter goes on tangents that seem off-topic. For example, I don’t see the relevance of the dictum to defend “against fake news” by finding trustworthy new sources. Still, some interesting stuff here.