The Ethical Life: Fundamental Readings in Ethics and Moral Problems

by Russ Shafer-Landau

Brief yet thorough and affordably priced, The Ethical Fundamental Readings in Ethics and Moral Problems is ideal for courses in introductory ethics and contemporary moral problems. Featuring thirty-nine readings divided into four parts--Value Theory, Normative Ethics, Metaethics, and
Moral Problems--it introduces students to ethical theory and a wide range of moral issues. The essays include selections from such historically influential philosophers as Aristotle, Hume, Kant, and Mill alongside work by contemporary philosophers like Philippa Foot, Robert Nozick, Peter Singer, and
Judith Jarvis Thomson. Detailed section and reading introductions provide helpful contextual information. Designed as a companion reader to Russ Shafer-Landau's textbook, The Fundamentals of Ethics, The Ethical Life is also comprehensive enough to be used on its own. The book is enhanced by an
Instructor's Manual and Testbank on CD and a Companion Website for students and instructors.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, School, Education

416 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2009

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a textbook used in an ethics class my daughter took this semester. I read this so that I could discuss the topics with her and help her study.

This is an excellent collection of readings on ethics. It explores normative ethics, meta-ethics, and what constitutes a good life. There are numerous readings including some from the most formative philosophers: Aristotle, Aquinas, Mills, Hume and Kant.

It also has a large section examining various topics that are debated today such as abortion, climate change, capital punishment and gun control. It is well balanced, giving multiple views an opportunity to be heard.

[CTEP]

With the great heaviness in our very near local reality and that reality far from our home country in the lives of immigrants and refugees from countries across many borders, I chose to focus my CTEP monthly reading on a collection of essays about ethics and ethical living.
In “The Ethical Life Fundamental Readings in Ethics and Moral Problems” by Russ Schafer-Landau, I'll highlight two of great import to my life right now. The first was The Subjectivity of Values by J.L Mackie, a longstanding professor at Oxford University. In rationalizing what has been going on with all the conflicting messages of love and racism, and peace, and hatred, and tolerance, and injustice in the 4th Precinct in North Minneapolis I wanted to understand a philosopher's point of view on values. He argues that the making of moral judgments and the solving of “moral problems by just siting down and having an ethical intuition is a travesty.....[because it negates] how complex the real process to provide a solution” will be (Landau 192). I understood this in the context of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations and how when the Police and BLM demonstrators meet separately to speak, neither group hears the others' voices to have safe discussions about these complex issues.
For my second essay, and one theory that has been held close to my heart for several years now, I chose Harry Gensler's Cultural Relativism. I believe it is tantamount to respect the history and experiences of other people as much as you respect the experiences of your own people. Gensler tells us, “good and bad are relative to culture” and I'll expand on this to further implore that we all feel goodness and love in the same ways (Landau 199). Each day as a CTEP at Neighborhood House I have the privilege to teach immigrants and refugee students from diverse backgrounds and cultures. This is a privilege because in some cultures women can not teach in schools, wear jeans, ride a bicycle, vote, or tell a male student what to do in class. This week, women in Saudi Arabia voted for the first time. MY students will read about this in an online newspaper on Monday. My job is a privilege and I am thankful for it every day. I teach my students about this as well; we learn about the good things we can do in America like the privileges we have with out government benefits, health care, education, and community support. We also learn in class that some places do not have these things and that does not make them lesser than us.
Culture and community. Both influence and craft much of who we grow to become. I was so glad for a chance to read philosophy again and apply Landau's collection of essays to my service in CTEP. I would highly recommend other members take some hours to do the same.

[Ava Courtney Sylvester · Rating 4 out of 5]

So nice I bought it twice!

This book, and its companion piece, have lived in my head for the past decade since I took a college course on ethics. Not many books, let alone textbooks, have the potency to haunt someone years later, but those by Russ Shafer-Landau undoubtedly do. I've had this book and its companion on my Amazon wish list for years, hoping it would get a Kindle version, as I'm now partially blind and require adaptive tools to read. I wound up having to buy it through a different service, and I'm glad I could.

Through curating a little over three dozen essays on ethics and how they apply to issues ranging from animal rights and climate change to gun control and drug legalization, Shafer-Landau couples theory and practice in an accessible, engaging way.

I will say that I sorely miss some essays I remember from a previous edition; namely, there was a truly remarkable piece on cultural relativism I found so moving that I photocopied my heavily-highlighted book and spent the whole night typing it up to transcribe it for my recalcitrant father to help him see another perspective. Granted, this edition does address cultural relativism, but not quite in the same way.

Moral of my story? This book will stay with you for a decade, if not a lifetime.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid

[Aryana]

one of my school textbooks

[Vaishnavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its literally the best book of philosophy that I have come across.

[Raed]

I’ve only read David Enoch’s paper: “Why I am an Objectivist about Ethics (And Why You Are, Too)”

Nice try, although I completely disagree.

[Ashly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did a great job in stringing concept theories and ideas into simplistic learning material

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read for everyone with a good heart.

[Michelle Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice companion to Shafer-Landau's Fundamentals Of Ethics book. The Ethical Life contains short writings from theorists such as Epicurus, Mill, Plato, Kant, Hobbes, Rand and others. The last section covers modern day "moral problems" including abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, animal rights and the environment, along with drugs and terrorism. While Shafer-Landau's "Fundamentals" explains the theories, It's nice to be able to refer to the actual theorist's writings in this book...... Thus reading both books at the same time.

[Andrew Calderon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complete and well organized anthology, comprised of the most prominent ethical theories of our time. It is an integral compilation of theories from philosophers, writers, social scientists and more. If you are expecting to pick up this book and know the answer to the question "what is an ethical life?", brace yourself. You will most likely close the pages with more questions than answers.

[Sympawtico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent compilation of essays discussing modern issues in applied ethics. I especially appreciated the essays on the moral permissibility of abortion and adultery/open marriage.

[Taymaz Azimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

With or without reading the side book "Fundamentals of Ethics", it can be a very helpful selection of texts concerning different areas from every day moral problems to meta-ethical dilemmas.