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Modern Ethics in 77 Arguments: A Stone Reader
From the editors of the widely influential The Stone Reader comes the most thorough and engaging guide to modern ethical thought available. Since 2010, The Stone ― an enormously popular column in the New York Times ― has interpreted and reinterpreted age-old inquires that speak to our contemporary condition. Having done for modern ethics what The Stone Reader did for modern philosophy, this portable volume features an assortment of essays culled from the archives of an online Times series that has attracted millions of readers through accessible examinations of longstanding topics like consciousness, religious belief, and morality. Presenting the most thorough and accessible guide to modern ethical thought available, New York Times editor Peter Catapano and best-selling philosopher Simon Critchley curate a fascinating culture of debate and deliberation that would have otherwise gone undiscovered. From questions of gun control and drone warfare to the morals of vegetarianism and marriage, this book emancipates ethics from the province of ivory-tower classrooms to become a centerpiece of discussions for years to come.
448 pages, Paperback
Published March 6, 2018
320 people are currently reading
1165 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 30, 2017
This is not necessarily a review of the book “Modern Ethics”, I just want to impart some important information to anyone thinking about purchasing this book. I bought the first book of essays from the N.Y. Times “The Stone” called “The Stone Reader”. I enjoyed it, and when I saw they were putting out another book, “Modern Ethics in 77 Arguments” I knew I would get this book when it was released.
I stopped by Barnes & Noble right after the book’s release, and though I was disappointed that the book didn’t have a 10 or 20% off sticker on it as many new releases do at B&N, I picked the book up along with a few others. I read the flyleaf that described this book as “A necessary companion to the acclaimed Stone Reader”.
A few weeks later, I started reading the new book, just jumping around the book to find essays that caught my eye, and I immediately realized “Hey, i’ve read that piece before!” This happened again, and then again.
Now I began looking through the book, and when I turned to the preface, in the second paragraph I read “In putting together this volume we had a primary goal: to create a less expensive, more portable volume than the original Stone Reader….To do this we..selected the most fitting entries from that book, and updated that grouping with more than thirty newer Stone essays, compiled exclusively for this volume.”
More portable? This book is the same size. It does weigh a pound less than the original book, so there is that. One bizarre fact to note is the original “Stone Reader” has not yet been released in paperback, which, hey, might have made for a “smaller, less expensive volume”!
Neither the Amazon web page, nor Barnes & Noble make clear that more than half of the new “Modern Ethics” book is made up of reprints of essays that just came out in the first book about a year ago. That’s a bit, umm dare I say, unethical? (insert irony emoji here)
If you haven’t purchased either book, I would very much recommend the first “Stone Reader”. If you have that book already, and were thinking about buying this followup book, you at least know what you are getting. And if you desire a smaller, less expensive copy of “The Stone Reader”, well maybe that paperback copy will drop in the near future.
I stopped by Barnes & Noble right after the book’s release, and though I was disappointed that the book didn’t have a 10 or 20% off sticker on it as many new releases do at B&N, I picked the book up along with a few others. I read the flyleaf that described this book as “A necessary companion to the acclaimed Stone Reader”.
A few weeks later, I started reading the new book, just jumping around the book to find essays that caught my eye, and I immediately realized “Hey, i’ve read that piece before!” This happened again, and then again.
Now I began looking through the book, and when I turned to the preface, in the second paragraph I read “In putting together this volume we had a primary goal: to create a less expensive, more portable volume than the original Stone Reader….To do this we..selected the most fitting entries from that book, and updated that grouping with more than thirty newer Stone essays, compiled exclusively for this volume.”
More portable? This book is the same size. It does weigh a pound less than the original book, so there is that. One bizarre fact to note is the original “Stone Reader” has not yet been released in paperback, which, hey, might have made for a “smaller, less expensive volume”!
Neither the Amazon web page, nor Barnes & Noble make clear that more than half of the new “Modern Ethics” book is made up of reprints of essays that just came out in the first book about a year ago. That’s a bit, umm dare I say, unethical? (insert irony emoji here)
If you haven’t purchased either book, I would very much recommend the first “Stone Reader”. If you have that book already, and were thinking about buying this followup book, you at least know what you are getting. And if you desire a smaller, less expensive copy of “The Stone Reader”, well maybe that paperback copy will drop in the near future.
April 2, 2019
It's more modern Western liberal ethics than just modern ethics. I would have liked to have seen more variety in opinion, not to just continue living in my own bubble of contentment.
Some essays really did change my life though. Thank you for those!
Some essays really did change my life though. Thank you for those!
March 28, 2021
Let me preface this review by saying that I bought this book in 2019, and it has taken me over a year to finish.
This is a book that I kept on my bedside table and would read essay by essay. I am giving this book 4 stars (I would give 3 1/2 if possible) because the essays that are good, are amazing. However, there were definitely essays that I struggled to comprehend and found pretty dry.
It is worth reading if you are looking to re-evaluate your own beliefs, learn more about ethical theories, and read compelling arguments by well-accredited professors and researchers.
My favorites were the essays on race, specifically “Dear White America” and “What, to the Black American, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day”, women, and government (“If War Can Have Ethics, Wall Street Can, Too” is amazing).
I do agree that the arguments do not include enough global diversity, as it is primarily western ethics. However, these are essays published in The Stone, a New York Times philosophy series, so one must keep that in mind when deciding to go on this long journey of a book!
This is a book that I kept on my bedside table and would read essay by essay. I am giving this book 4 stars (I would give 3 1/2 if possible) because the essays that are good, are amazing. However, there were definitely essays that I struggled to comprehend and found pretty dry.
It is worth reading if you are looking to re-evaluate your own beliefs, learn more about ethical theories, and read compelling arguments by well-accredited professors and researchers.
My favorites were the essays on race, specifically “Dear White America” and “What, to the Black American, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day”, women, and government (“If War Can Have Ethics, Wall Street Can, Too” is amazing).
I do agree that the arguments do not include enough global diversity, as it is primarily western ethics. However, these are essays published in The Stone, a New York Times philosophy series, so one must keep that in mind when deciding to go on this long journey of a book!
Read
January 23, 2021Packed full of interesting ideas - but the scope is wide and the writing is (like most philosophy) very dense.
May 22, 2021
77 short essays reflecting on modern issues compiled from a range of sources over several years. The book was organized in a great way, by topic. No one essay was incredibly complex, but many were very thought provoking. They introduced new concepts to me, and bolstered my understanding of older ones.
This is philosophy as it was meant to be done, in my opinion. Short opinion pieces that challenge you to think about a topic in a new light, and then inspire further research and reflection. I thought most of the essays were worthy of my time (only a few I would call trash). I thoroughly enjoyed about 20% of them, which is really a very high percentage for a collection of essays.
This is philosophy as it was meant to be done, in my opinion. Short opinion pieces that challenge you to think about a topic in a new light, and then inspire further research and reflection. I thought most of the essays were worthy of my time (only a few I would call trash). I thoroughly enjoyed about 20% of them, which is really a very high percentage for a collection of essays.
August 14, 2018
This was an enlightening book of contemporary essays first printed in "The Stone Reader" column concerning philosophical issues in the New York Times.
December 14, 2017
Thinking and feeling for truth
This essay collection guides the reader through the difficult moral questions of the modern world. A reading group committed to seriously thinking about and attempting to live a moral life would find this book a useful guide.
This essay collection guides the reader through the difficult moral questions of the modern world. A reading group committed to seriously thinking about and attempting to live a moral life would find this book a useful guide.
July 30, 2018
I studied philosophy as an undergraduate. Most of the arguments presented in this book weren't new to me, but I appreciated them because they made me re-examine my own beliefs. This book is enjoyable with every essay and I highly recommend it (I never write reviews on here!).
May 1, 2019
Get it. Read it. I read an essay a day with my morning coffee like a devotional. There were two essays in there that were game changers for me. I am sure you will be able to pick a gem from this treasure box of thinkers to help you in your journey!
June 30, 2024
Big disappointment. 1) you don’t need 77 arguments. 2) no substance. 3) often left out critical information or explanations for the sake of brevity.
October 22, 2019
Modern Ethics in 77 Arguments is a collection of essays that originally appeared in The New York Times. The book includes the author of each essay and the date it was published at the end. It was compiled by Peter Catapano and Simon Critchley.
This book is brilliant. It discusses the ideas of modern ethics with all of its variegated whys and wherefores. For instance, it discusses the idea of morality as seen by an atheist. This is interesting because as many people know, I don’t really believe in God. I can identify with being an atheist for many reasons, and I have never considered myself a moral nihilist. I don’t think that everything is permitted in this life since we still have to live in society and follow its laws. Some people seem to need an all-powerful father figure looking over their shoulder to even consider being a good person. This is a horrifying idea to me. Sometimes good behavior is its own reward.
The book talks about other things that I have never thought of. For instance, we assume that a man who impregnates a woman is fully ready for fatherhood and never ask his consent. This is a mind-blowing idea for me. I mean, do you really think that an 18-year-old man would have the means to raise a child if he can’t even drink in some countries? I live in the United States, so my idea of the legal drinking age is limited to 21. I looked it up and realize that many other countries have different standards, so it won’t pertain to you if you live in China or Mexico for instance. Anyway, I got off-topic. If I remember myself at the end of high school, I would not have been ready to be a father. Perhaps other people are different, but I know myself pretty well.
There are 77 essays as is mentioned in the title. They are organized by an overarching subject. Some of the essays support one side of an issue and others support the other side. Some of the essays leave an open question since the ideas are complicated. Anyway, as I mentioned, this book is really good.
This book is brilliant. It discusses the ideas of modern ethics with all of its variegated whys and wherefores. For instance, it discusses the idea of morality as seen by an atheist. This is interesting because as many people know, I don’t really believe in God. I can identify with being an atheist for many reasons, and I have never considered myself a moral nihilist. I don’t think that everything is permitted in this life since we still have to live in society and follow its laws. Some people seem to need an all-powerful father figure looking over their shoulder to even consider being a good person. This is a horrifying idea to me. Sometimes good behavior is its own reward.
The book talks about other things that I have never thought of. For instance, we assume that a man who impregnates a woman is fully ready for fatherhood and never ask his consent. This is a mind-blowing idea for me. I mean, do you really think that an 18-year-old man would have the means to raise a child if he can’t even drink in some countries? I live in the United States, so my idea of the legal drinking age is limited to 21. I looked it up and realize that many other countries have different standards, so it won’t pertain to you if you live in China or Mexico for instance. Anyway, I got off-topic. If I remember myself at the end of high school, I would not have been ready to be a father. Perhaps other people are different, but I know myself pretty well.
There are 77 essays as is mentioned in the title. They are organized by an overarching subject. Some of the essays support one side of an issue and others support the other side. Some of the essays leave an open question since the ideas are complicated. Anyway, as I mentioned, this book is really good.
August 5, 2018
Extraordinary.
After I bought the book from Oblong, I thought it would be a waste of money. Ethics could be intriguing, but I reckoned that the collection of 77 theses would most probably have me lose interest and discourage me from reading further. I was wrong.
The first few chapters or, more specifically, essays, was on "Existentialism". These essays analyzed core values of humanity as a whole and elaborated on why or how these values were created. The authors explained what we, as individuals and part of humanity, are all trying to pursue. The answers to these questions could be found traced all the way back to the Greek and Roman mythologies. Finally, authors would explain how our values and pursuits play a role in our everyday lives, our own meaning, and our existence. Admittedly, the content was a bit overwhelming at first, but as I read on, it became easier. Reading this book was kind of like solving a puzzle.
Content aside, one big reason why I really liked the book was how everything came together beautifully.
[Add later]
After I bought the book from Oblong, I thought it would be a waste of money. Ethics could be intriguing, but I reckoned that the collection of 77 theses would most probably have me lose interest and discourage me from reading further. I was wrong.
The first few chapters or, more specifically, essays, was on "Existentialism". These essays analyzed core values of humanity as a whole and elaborated on why or how these values were created. The authors explained what we, as individuals and part of humanity, are all trying to pursue. The answers to these questions could be found traced all the way back to the Greek and Roman mythologies. Finally, authors would explain how our values and pursuits play a role in our everyday lives, our own meaning, and our existence. Admittedly, the content was a bit overwhelming at first, but as I read on, it became easier. Reading this book was kind of like solving a puzzle.
Content aside, one big reason why I really liked the book was how everything came together beautifully.
[Add later]
July 31, 2025
Not exactly dropping this book, but doing to it as one does to any newspaper or magazine: skim, ruthlessly. There might be some gems here, but so far the essays are largely located in 2010s America, which might as well be a century ago in its naivety regarding certain hot topics. When an essay began by complaining about hipsters I remembered these articles were not a collection of "modern ethics in 77 arguments", but a miscellany of diversions, between the cartoons and the crosswords. If I want to read the New York Times, I will. I have the app and the lowball subscription fee they offered to get me to keep playing Wordle and Connections. They have provided all they can to me.
September 7, 2025
- I liked that this was organized by section. Allowed nice comparison between essays
- I loved some essays; really disliked others. Authors are in tough spot with space constraints and expectations that the text be accessible. Some essays would have benefited from added length/definitions/examples/formalism
- Good breadth of topics covered
- Very early 2010s coded. Not a bad thing; just not necessarily relevant now, but definitely nostalgic. Some essays were super prescient though
- I loved some essays; really disliked others. Authors are in tough spot with space constraints and expectations that the text be accessible. Some essays would have benefited from added length/definitions/examples/formalism
- Good breadth of topics covered
- Very early 2010s coded. Not a bad thing; just not necessarily relevant now, but definitely nostalgic. Some essays were super prescient though
September 9, 2025
Really enjoyed this. I am very obviously on a philosophy kick, and this was an easy way to satiate that hunger in more digestible chunks. I’ll have to buy a copy so I can dog-ear the 10+ essays that truly gripped me and look back on them.
Certain sections were more interesting than others (On Morality, On Human Nature, On Violence, On Race), but overall this book held my attention and didn’t feel like homework.
Very recommendable. You should read it.
Certain sections were more interesting than others (On Morality, On Human Nature, On Violence, On Race), but overall this book held my attention and didn’t feel like homework.
Very recommendable. You should read it.
August 10, 2018
I find thoughts on the paths that humans can take on why we do what we do to be thought provoking. Is our ethics led by intent with no responsibility for results? Do we write it off if the results aren’t what we expected; do we feel sad and depressed; or maybe not think anything. Whatever, I find sapiens the cause of my many reflections.
May 6, 2020
Some of the essays in this collection (such as Christy Wampole’s “How to Live Without Irony” and George Yancy’s “Walking While Black in the ‘White Gaze’”) sparked serious introspection as I read them. Unfortunately, a greater number of them struck me as being the very kind of esoteric, ivory tower navel-gazing that this collection was supposed to offer a practical alternative to.
December 20, 2021
This book is a great conversation starter, and presents a lot of ethical dilemmas in a really accessible manner. If you've ever taken a philosophy course, this would probably do nothing for you, but if you want an easy intro to philosophical questions, or even if you like self-help books and blogs, I think you should pick this up.
September 9, 2025
Because this is a collection of various authors, I definitely enjoyed/agreed with certain pieces more than others. I’m aware this book caters towards the Western lens. However, considering the climate in which it was published, I think was an extremely valuable read. Building on my obsession with normative ethics :-)
March 12, 2018
"Modern Ethics in 77 Arguments" contained greater discussions than did "The Stone Reader: Modern Philosophy in 133 Arguments". Reading "The Stone Reader" was like nails on a chalkboard for its dull simplicity that felt as if thinking were not allowed (by the commentators that is).
May 22, 2019
I took my time with this one, biting it off one piece at a time. It's one of the few books I've physically thrown across a room in frustration / anger; and that's part of the reason I enjoyed it. Agree or disagree with the arguments, accept or reject the thinking behind it all, it made me think.
June 15, 2020
I was surprised to discover that I very much enjoyed this book. Practically every essay had at least a kernel of stimulation for me. While I know that all comparisons are odious, I must admit I had a favorite. It was Simon Critchley’s The Dangers of Certainty: A Lesson from Auchwitz.
May 14, 2022
I was intrigued by the chapter titles. I didn't realize these were all facile columns written for the NYT. My mistake, but it's the kind of collection that makes even a moderate fan of the enlightenment like myself think public reason is futile & we should all just convert to Catholicism or Islam
September 10, 2017
Yup.
Nope.
Nope.
December 7, 2017
This book is a copy of a previous book done by the same writing/editing duo. This should be illegal.
October 13, 2017
I found some of the essays only presented one point of view.
June 17, 2018
Excellent and thought provoking! I found myself arguing aloud (mostly from a "devil's advocate" position), and eventually losing every argument.
July 28, 2018
Library book came due before I finished it
February 1, 2020
One needs to read this over a very long period of time to truly absorb it; I would also recommend physical copies. Great book, very well written.
July 23, 2020
An excellent collection of thought-provoking essays. Not every essay will be your favorite, but many offer new ways to consider our thoughts, our world, and our deepest convictions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews