Disputed Moral Issues: A Reader

by Mark Timmons

Ideal for courses in contemporary moral problems, applied ethics, and introduction to ethics, Disputed Moral A Reader, offers a unique pedagogical approach that bridges moral theory and applied ethics. Bringing together 68 engaging articles, it also includes an accessible Moral Theory Primer (Chapter 1) that outlines the guiding principles of moral theory, presents eight central moral theories and relates those theories to the issues debated in the applied ethics articles. Chapter 2 presents nine readings in moral theory that correspond to the theories discussed in the Theory Primer. The remaining chapters (3-15) feature readings on a wide variety of contemporary moral issues. Each chapter on a moral issue opens with an extensive, 5-10 page introduction providing conceptual, historical, and theoretical context to each moral issue and concludes with a "Theory Meets Practice" section that connects the chapter readings back to the moral theories presented in the Primer. Timmons includes more non-typical topics than are found in competing readers, including topics such as immigration, drugs and addiction, global warming, and cloning. Each selection is enhanced by a host of pedagogical features, including concise summaries, reader cues referring to pertinent moral theories, and reading and discussion questions. A "Quick Guide to Moral Theories" at the front of the book and an extensive glossary of key terms are also included. A "User's Guide," which follows the preface, shows instructors how they can integrate moral theories and applied ethics into their courses. In addition, for the first time, the book will include Case Studies and Discussion Questions, which will appear at the end of every Moral Issues chapter.
The only contemporary moral problems reader that systematically connects and applies ethical theories to moral issues.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

824 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