Overview

'This is an excellent introduction to ethics, and will be of great help and interest to undergraduate students, their tutors, and their lecturers ... It presents a very fair and balanced - not to mention comprehensive and subtle - examination of the subject ... The chapters are full of interesting and thought-provoking examples, and the writing is clear and engaging.' - Michael Brady, University of Glasgow, UK What is morality? How do we define what is right and wrong? How does moral theory help us deal with ethical issues in the world around us? This engaging introduction explores these central questions and more in a highly readable manner. Christopher Bennett eases the reader in with examples of contemporary and relevant ethical problems, before looking at the main theoretical approaches and key philosophers associated with them. Topics covered include: life and death issues such as abortion and global poverty the meaning of life major moral theories such as Utilitarianism, Kantian Ethics and Virtue Ethics critiques of morality from Marx and Nietzsche. What is this thing called Ethics? contains many helpful student-friendly features. Each chapter concludes with a useful summary of the main ideas discussed, study questions, and annotated further reading. This is an ideal introduction to ethics not only for philosophy students but for anyone coming to the subject for the first time.

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9780415491532

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Reviews

'What is particularly appealing about this volume are its clarity of style, organization, and accessibility. Each chapter presents six or seven aspects of the problem in question, a conclusion, a set of excellent questions for discussion, and a good, short bibliography. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduates; general readers.' - Choice 'This is an excellent introduction to ethics, and will be of great help and interest to undergraduate students, their tutors, and their lecturers ... It presents a very fair and balanced -- not to mention comprehensive and subtle -- examination of the subject ... The chapters are full of interesting and thought-provoking examples, and the writing is clear and engaging.' -- Michael Brady, University of Glasgow, UK 'Christopher Bennett's What is this thing called Ethics? is an engaging introduction to moral and applied philosophy. The author guides the reader through some of the central ideas in moral philosophy and introduces them to some of the main traditions of moral thought, such as utilitarianism, Kantianism and Aristotelianism. The author, however, also relates the theoretical issues to practical questions and considers some of the most crucial issues that allied philosophy has to tackle, such as questions concerning life and death and questions concerning the responsibilities that people have towards one another. As such, this book should prove invaluable to readers unfamiliar with philosophy and for students who need a clear and non-technical introduction to moral and applied philosophy.' -- Nick Buttle, University of the West of England, UK 'This introduction is outstanding. Christopher Bennett encourages his reader to actively reflect on key moral questions in a highly engaging book covering all major topics. This book is a must have for any student interested in the subject. It is accessibly written without sacrificing sufficient depth. The selection of major topics is wide-ranging and ideal for classroom use. I highly recommend this book.' -- Thom Brooks, University of Newcastle, UK 'This is a first rate introduction to ethics. What sets Bennett's book apart from the rest is the time he devotes to laying out the deep questions and problems that have motivated philosophical inquiry. In addition, Bennett addresses the challenges to ethics -- such as skepticism and relativism -- with unusual candor and intelligence.a This book would fit very well in an undergraduate ethics course, and is engaging and accessible reading for anyone interested in how philosophers have approached moral issues.' - Tamler Sommers, University of Houston, US

'This is an excellent introduction to ethics, and will be of great help and interest to undergraduate students, their tutors, and their lecturers ... It presents a very fair and balanced -- not to mention comprehensive and subtle -- examination of the subject ... The chapters are full of interesting and thought-provoking examples, and the writing is clear and engaging.' -- Michael Brady, University of Glasgow, UK 'Christopher Bennett's What is this thing called Ethics? is an engaging introduction to moral and applied philosophy. The author guides the reader through some of the central ideas in moral philosophy and introduces them to some of the main traditions of moral thought, such as utilitarianism, Kantianism and Aristotelianism. The author, however, also relates the theoretical issues to practical questions and considers some of the most crucial issues that allied philosophy has to tackle, such as questions concerning life and death and questions concerning the responsibilities that people have towards one another. As such, this book should prove invaluable to readers unfamiliar with philosophy and for students who need a clear and non-technical introduction to moral and applied philosophy.' -- Nick Buttle, University of the West of England, UK 'This introduction is outstanding. Christopher Bennett encourages his reader to actively reflect on key moral questions in a highly engaging book covering all major topics. This book is a must have for any student interested in the subject. It is accessibly written without sacrificing sufficient depth. The selection of major topics is wide-ranging and ideal for classroom use. I highly recommend this book.' -- Thom Brooks, University of Newcastle, UK

Author Information

Christopher Bennett is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Sheffield, UK. His research interests include moral, political and legal philosophy. His previous publications include The Apology Ritual: A Philosophical Theory of Punishment (2008).

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