Ethics. History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues

898 Pages·1998·24.14 MB·English

by  Steven M. Cahn, Peter Markie (eds.)

The most comprehensive collection of its kind, Ethics is organized into three
sections, providing instructors with flexibility in designing and teaching a variety
of courses in moral philosophy. Opening with Alasdair Macintyre 's discussion of
the importance of the history of ethics, the first section, Historical Sources, moves
from classical thought (Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and Epictetus) through medieval
views (Augustine and Aquinas) to modem theories (Hobbes, Butler, Hume,
Kant, Bentham, and Mill). It culminates with the religiosity of Kierkegaard, the
pessimism of Schopenhauer, the nihilism of Nietzsche, the pragmatism of James
and Dewey, and the existentialism of Camus and Sartre. The readings are reprinted
in their entirety wherever possible.
The second section, Modem Ethical Theory, begins with James Rachels' over
view of recent developments, and includes many of the most important essays of
the twentieth century. The discussion of utilitarianism, Kantianism, egoism, and
relativism continues in the work of major contemporary philosophers (Williams,
Brandt, Feinberg, Foot, and Rachels). Landmark selections (Moore, Ross,
Stevenson, Baier, Hare, Harman, and Gauthier) reflect concern with moral language
and the justification of morality. The concepts of justice (Rawls), rights (Feinberg),
and saintliness (Urmson and Wolff) are explored, as well as recent views on the
importance of virtue ethics (Macintyre and Rachels), and an ethic influenced by
feminist concerns (Held).
Peter Singer's discussion of the significance of applied ethics opens the third
section, Contemporary Moral Problems. The readings present the current debates
over abortion (Thomson, Tooley, and Sterba), euthanasia (Rachels and Foot),
famine relief (Singer and Arthur), animal rights (Regan and Cohen), the death
penalty (van den Haag and Nathanson), and affirmative action (Hill and Kekes).
ABOUT THE EDITORS
Steven M. Cahn is Professor of Philosophy at the Graduate School of The City
University of New York. He is the author of Saints and Scamps: Ethics in America,
rev. ed. ( 1994 ), and the e - ----.
to Mill (OUP, 1996), C/aJ
Action Debate (1995).
Peter J. Markie is Profes
He is the author of Des
Issues in College Teachi
Cover illustration: Nethulandish Pn
by Pieter Breugel the Elder. Oil on c
Photograph counesy of Christie's In
Cover Design by Ed Atkeson/Berg D
ETHICS
History} Theory} and
C ontemporary Issues
Edited by
STEVEN M. CAHN
PETER MARKIE
New York Oxford
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
1998
Oxford University Press
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and associated companies in
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Copyright© 1998 by Oxford University Press, Inc.
Published by Oxford University Press, Inc.
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Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
scored in a recrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
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without the prior permission of Oxford University Press.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ethics : history, theory, and contemporary issues I edited by
Steven M. Cahn and Peter Markie.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-19-510453-6
1. Ethics. 1. Cahn, Steven M. II. Markie, Peter]., l 950-
BJ1012.M6323 1997
l 70---DC21 97-14435
Printing (last digit) : 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United Stares of America
on acid-free paper
CONTENTS
Preface vtt
lntroduction vm
1 HISTORICAL SOURCES 1
I ntroduction, by Alasdair Maclntyre / 1
1. Plato 3
Euthyphro / 3
Apology / 14
Crito I 29
Phaedo (114d-118) / 3 7
Republic (selections) / 39
2. Aristotle 116
N icomachean Ethics (selections) 116
3. Epicurus 155
Letter to Menoeceus / 155
Leading Doctrines / 158
4. Epictetus 161
Enchiridion 161
5. Saint Augustine 176
Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love (selections) 176
6. Saint Thomas Aquinas 185
Summa Contra Gentiles (selections) 185
7. Thomas Hobbes 202
Leviathan (selections) 202
8. Joseph Butler 227
Fifteen Sermons (selections) / 227
9. David Hume / 243
An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (selections) / 244
CONTENTS
IV
10. Immanuel Kant / 275
Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals I 275
11. Jeremy Bentham I 318
An lntroduction to the Principles of Moralsand Legislation (selections) I 319
12. John Stuarr Mill I 343
Utilitarianism / 343
13. Soren Kierkegaard / 381
Fear and Trembling (Problema l & II) / 382
14. Arthur Schopenhauer / 397
On the Su/ferings of the World / 397
15. Friedrich N ierzsche I 404
Beyond Good and Evil (selections) / 405
On the Genealogy of Morals (selections) / 413
The Twilight of the Idols (selections) / 420
16. William James / 423
The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Lift / 423
17. John Dewey / 436
The Quest for Certainty (selections) / 436
18. Albert Camus / 452
The Myth of Sisyphus I 452
19. Jean-Paul Sarrre / 459
Existentialism ls a Humanism / 460
II MODERN ETHICAL THEORY ! 469
Introduction, by James Rachels / 469
20. G. E. Moore / 479
Principia Ethica (selections) / 479
21. W. D. Ross I 486
The Right and The Good (selections) / 486
22. C. L. Srevenson I 496
The Emotive Meaning of Ethical Terms 496
23. R. M. Hare / 508
Freedom and Reason (selections) / 508
CONTENTS
24. Kurt Baier I 519
The Point of View of Morality / 519
25. Gilbert Harman / 536
The Nature of Morality (selections) / 536
26. James Rachels I 548
The Challenge of Cultural Relativism / 548
27. JoelFeinberg / 557.
Psychological Egoism / 557
28. Bernard Williams I 566
A Critique of Utilitarianism / 566
29. Richard B. Brandt I 584
Same Merits of One Form of Rufe Utilitarianism / 584
30. Joel Feinberg / 603
The Nature and Value of Rights / 603
31. Philippa Foot I 614
Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives / 614
32. John Rawls / 621
A Theory ofj ustice (selections) / 621
33. David Gauthier / 641
Why Contractarianism? 641
34. Alasdair Maclntyre / 653
After Virtue (selections) / 653
35. James Rachels / 669
The Ethics of Virtue / 669
36. Virginia Held / 682
Feminist Transformations of Moral Theory / 682
37. ). 0. Urmson 699
Saints and Heroes 699
38. Susan Wolf 708
Moral Saints 708
39. Thomas Nagel 722
Moral Luck / 72 2
CONTENTS
VI
III CONTEMPORARY MORAL PROBLEMS I 73 3
l ntroduction, by Peter Singer I 73 3
40. Judith Jarvis Thomson / 737
A Defense of Abortion / 73 7
41. Michael Tooley I 749
Abortion and Infanticide I 749
42. James Sterba / 766
Abortion, Distant Peoples, and Future Generations / 766
43. James Rachels I 778
Active and Passive Euthanasia / 778
44. Philippa Foot / 782
Euthanasia / 783
45. Peter Singer / 799
Famine, Affluence, and Morality I 799
46. John Arthur / 807
Famine Relief and the Ideal Moral Code / 807
47. Tom Regan / 821
The Case for Anima/ Rights / 821
48. Carl Cohen I 829
The Case for the Use of Animals in Biomedical Research I 829
49. Ernest van den Haag / 837
In Defense of the Death Penalty I 837
50. Stephen Nathanson / 849
An Eye for an Eye: The Morality of Punishing by Death (selections) / 849
51. Thomas E. Hili Jr. / 860
The Message of Affirmative Action / 860
52. John Kekes / 878
The Injustice of Affirmative Action Involving Preferential Treatment / 879
PREFACE
This comprehensive collection offers instructors the opportunity to construct courses in
ethics combining as wished the hisrory of moral philosophy, modern ethical theory, and
comemporary moral problems. The readings are reprinted, wherever possible, without
omissions. Among the major historical works presented unabridged are Plato's Euthyphro,
Apology, and Crito, Kam's Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals, and Mill's Utili
tarianism.
The idea for such an inclusive volume developed from conversations with Robert Miller,
our ediror at Oxford University Press, and we are most grateful for his initial encourage
ment and cominuing support. We thank those anonymous referees, chosen by the Press,
who offered helpful suggestions regarding the book's structure and comems. We also wish
to express our appreciation to Ian Gardiner for his consciemious proofreading and to the
staff of Oxford U niversity Press for providing generous assistance throughout the stages
of production.
f
NTRODUCTION
All of us from time to time reffect on the moral dimension of our lives: what sorts of per
sons we ought to be, which goals are worth pursuing, and how we should relate to others.
We may wonder abour the answers to these questions that have been provided by the most
profound thinkers of past generations; we may speculate whether their confficting opin
ions amoum to disagreements about the truth or are merely expressions of their differing
attitudes; we may consider how their varied theories might help us understand moral is
sues of our own day.
This book of readings provides ehe macerials to address chese matters. In Part I we have
collecced ehe mosc inffuencial echical cheories from nearly 2,500 years of philosophical
choughc, beginning in ancient Greece with Socrates, Plato, and Aristocle and continuing
chrough medieval and modern cimes co ehe cwemiech-century French thinkers Camus and
Sarcre. Part II comains recenc articles chac explore cheorecical issues concerning the nature
of moral judgmencs, ehe resolucion of moral disagreemems, and ehe evaluacion of moral
cheories. Part III offers reffeccions on comemporary moral problems, including abortion,
euchanasia, famine relief, animal righcs, capical punishmenc, and affirmative accion. In
each case choughcful argumems for and against are presented for your consideracion.
Which philosophical posicions are correcc? J usc as each member of a jury at a trial needs
co make a decision and defend a view afcer considering all ehe relevant evidence, so each
philosophical inquirer needs co make a decision and defend a view afcer considering all the
relevant opinions. This book makes available in convenienc form ehe macerials on which
co base your chinking. Bur ehe challenge and excitemenc of philosophy is chac, afcer cak
ing accounc of ehe work ochers have done, ehe responsibilicy for reaching conclusions is
your own.
Should you wish co learn more abouc particular moral philosophers or specific moral is
sues, an excellent source co consulc is ehe Encyclopedia of Ethics (Garland, 1992), ediced by
Lawrence C. Becker, which concains decailed encries wich bibliographies on every signifi
canc copic in the field.