Disputed Moral Issues: A Reader

by Mark Timmons

Ideal for courses in contemporary moral problems, introduction to ethics, and applied ethics, Disputed Moral A Reader is a comprehensive anthology that brings together sixty-seven engaging articles on a wide range of contemporary moral issues. Carefully selected and edited for an
undergraduate audience, the essays are organized into twelve chapters that

* Sexual morality
* Pornography, hate speech, and censorship
* Drugs, gambling, and addiction
* Sexism, racism, and reparation
* Euthanasia and suicide
* Abortion
* Cloning and genetic enhancement
* The death penalty
* War, terrorism, and torture
* World hunger and poverty
* Animals
* The environment

Striking a unique balance between moral theory and applied ethics, editor Mark Timmons provides students with an accessible Moral Theory Primer (Chapter 1), in which he outlines the guiding principles of moral theory, presents six central moral theories, and relates those theories to the issues
debated in the articles. Each of the remaining chapters is preceded by an introduction that explains key concepts and shows how theories from the Moral Theory Primer are connected to the arguments presented in that chapter's essays. Each selection is preceded by a brief summary and reader cues,
which direct students to a specific section of the Moral Theory Primer in order to best help them understand the essay in question. A "Quick Guide to Moral Theories" appendix, an extensive glossary of key terms, and suggested further readings after each chapter further enhance the text. A "User's
Guide," which follows the preface, shows instructors how they can integrate moral theories and applied ethics into their courses.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

576 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2005

About the author

Dr. Mark Timmons is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Arizona. Dr. Timmons has published extensively in the fields of ethics and epistemology.

Reviews

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this textbook. It provided great essays examining both sides of many moral issues (hence the title) and it made me change my mind on a few positions.

[Wise · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good introduction to the Ethics side of Philosophy. Lots of articles and many viewpoints are represented within this book on each moral/ethical issue. I appreciated that the author was largely unbiased in his writing of the text and in explaining the issues, but there were hints of bias scattered throughout his writings.

Pretty good book but as it was read for school I merely thought that it was "okay".

[Charles Puskas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used it for a class and it was quite helpful in looking at current issues. The six essential moral theories (consequentialism, Natural Law, Kantian, rights-based, virtue ethics, prima facie duty) were well-explained and illustrated. The selected readings on a variety of topics (drugs, sexism, racism, pornography, hate-speech, abortion, cloning, terrorism, hunger, ecology, death penalty) are written by specialists in the field. The book includes a helpful glossary of ethical terms.

[rza · Rating 3 out of 5]

for school

[Eugenia Montiel Aceti · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great introduction to disputed moral issues, regardless of your stance.

[Adeline Shen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Obscure