Ethics in a Nutshell: The Philosopher's Approach to Morality in 100 Pages

by Matt Deaton

Taking an ethics class? Confused? Frustrated? Short on time? Let online ethics professor Matt Deaton cure your philosophy woes in a hurry with his concise and accessible introduction to philosophical ethics -- featuring free YouTube lectures on each chapter by the author.

Ethics in a Nutshell covers the basics of any good introductory college ethics course: what academic philosophy is, why philosophical ethics is compatible with religious moral reasoning, problems with moral subjectivism (or the view that morality is a mere matter of personal opinion), the four dominant ethical theories of Kantianism, Utilitarianism, Virtue Ethics and Feminist Care Ethics, the role of our moral intuitions, how to construct and evaluate moral arguments (especially moral arguments by analogy), how careful moral reflection can produce a more coherent and logically defensible set of moral views, and how to arrive at an -All-Things-Considered- view that balances and takes into account all of the above.

All this in 100 quick pages plus complementary lecture videos on each chapter make Ethics in a Nutshell THE go-to companion for every busy ethics student.

Don't be confused, don't be frustrated -- read the book, watch the vids, and see how the philosopher's approach to morality can be both understandable useful after all.

Genres: Philosophy

126 pages, Paperback

Published January 23, 2017

About the author

I write for readers like myself -- people with a sense of humor who love learning and never turn down encouragement. My goal: enlighten, inspire, and entertain.

Reviews

[Chris Boutté · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s not much to say about this book because it’s so short. All I really have to say is that it’s a great book. If you’re interested in morality and ethics, get this book. Matt Deaton manages to accomplish a lot in 100 pages, and i can’t wait to check out some of his other books.

[Ben Sharpton]

A major concern of people from all walks of life today is Ethics. The odd thing is most of us don’t really understand ethics and how we should determine which way we believe is right. Some say they just “feel” one view is ethical. Others depend on what people in authority tell them. Still others opt for a “relative” view that ethics is in the eye of the beholder.

So, how do we tell whether someone is acting ethically or not? It starts with a definition: According to Matt. Deaton, ethics is "the reason-guided study of what we morally ought to do."

His concise handbook, ETHICS IN A NUTSHELL, gives a high-level overview of how we should determine ethical behavior. Without venturing into mundane, overly-complex theoretical concepts, NUTSHELL covers all the bases. Readers will easily understand the four dominant theories to approaching ethics, tools for understanding and comparing beliefs, the need for “gut instinct”, and more, without the verbose, pompous dialogue found in many books. Deaton illustrates each concept with great examples, often those used by classic theorists themselves, and often in a humorous style.

It’s a bit like getting a copy of a college-level textbook with all of the important material already highlighted, or like having a cheat sheet before the exam.

Personally, I’ve taught college courses on ethics and wish I’d had ETHICS IN A NUTSHELL at the time to help explain the subject more clearly.

If you really want to know what you believe and why you believe it, or just want to refresh your understanding of morality, read ETHICS IN A NUTSHELL .

[David Beadle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was used in my Intro to Ethics class. That is the context for which I would highly recommend this book. It is accessible to those who have never been exposed the philosophical language and common theories of Ethics. This is Ethics-for-dummies, which is so badly needed for Intro classes on the subject.

[Christopher Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy read. Good for someone that wants a crash course.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book serves as an excellent introduction to ethical theory for someone looking to learn about ethics in a fun, informal way. Matt Deaton makes sophisticated philosophical concepts and distinctions easy to understand, and his manner of speech/writing is as if a friend is talking to you. The book is a hundred pages long, and the print is large with about two paragraphs per page. So, it’s a quick read for adults and would also be appropriate middle school and high school students. This book can be used for an introductory college course in ethics, but it would need to be supplemented by primary texts, since college courses generally go into greater depth into the ethical theories. So, this book cannot replace college reading assignments, but it serves as a means to understand main ideas more easily. I want everyone to ponder over ethical questions, and having understanding of ethical theories can deepen one’s thinking (and hopefully lead to better ethical behavior). Thus, I highly recommend this book!

[. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to read for school. Pretty interesting.

[Epic Matt448 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book and an even better place to start if you’re interested in philosophy/ethics

[Alix Gisele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful to understand the basics of ethics

[aston]

was a very short read but it was eye-opening and interesting to learn about ethics. short, simple and one could say sweet.

[Katya · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a very good introduction to the different types of Ethics and the general concept. However, some chapters felt as if they were dragging on forever even though they were over in a matter of pages. Chapter 5 was my personal favourite where Deaton explored the different types of Ethics and their respective views. Overall, a solid foundation on Ethics.

[amoura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 · offered a good overview & easy to understand, i like how the author touched on the relationship between philosophy and religion. overall enjoyable for a book i had to read for school