The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195308514 ISBN 13: 9780195308518

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2006

Featuring new selections chosen by coeditor Lewis Vaughn, the third edition of Louis P. Pojman's The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature brings together an extensive and varied collection of ninety-one classical and contemporary readings on ethical theory and practice. Integrating literature with philosophy in an innovative way, the book uses literary works to enliven and make concrete the ethical theory or applied issues addressed in each chapter. Literary works by Camus, Hawthorne, Hugo, Huxley, Ibsen, Le Guin, Melville, Orwell, Styron, Tolstoy, and many others lead students into such philosophical concepts and issues as relativism; utilitarianism; virtue ethics; the meaning of life; freedom and autonomy; sex, love, and marriage; animal rights; and terrorism. Once introduced, these topics are developed further through readings by philosophers including Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Nozick, Singer, and Sartre. This unique anthology emphasizes the personal dimension of ethics, which is often ignored or minimized in ethics texts. It also incorporates chapter introductions, study questions, suggestions for further reading, and biographical sketches of the writers.
The third edition brings the collection up-to-date, adding selections by Jane English, William Frankena, Don Marquis, John Stuart Mill, Mary Midgley, Thomas Nagel, Judith Jarvis Thomson, and J.O. Urmson. It also features a new chapter on euthanasia with essays by Dan W. Brock, J. Gay-Williams, and James Rachels. Ideal for introductory ethics courses, The Moral Life, Third Edition, also provides an engaging gateway into personal and social ethics for general readers.

About the Author:

The late Louis P. Pojman was Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Lewis Vaughn is the former editor of Free Inquiry magazine and the former executive editor of the philosophy journal Philo.

Review:

"The Moral Life is the best introductory reader on the market. Students like the variety of the readings and the affordable price. The readings are just the right length to cover in class and the variety of sources, including some literature and non-academic writing, makes the philosophy accessible--and relevant. You can't ask for more than that."--David S. Brown, Lindenwood University

"The Moral Life would be ideal for any ethics or moral philosophy course. Its organization and layout are fantastic, and I like the diversity of applied ethics issues covered in the final section."--Andy Sanford, Southwestern Michigan College

"The Moral Life is a high-quality and reasonably priced introduction to the study of ethics. It provides a very easy-to-follow lineup of moral theory, followed by a helpful set of reflection questions. The moral issues section includes readings on up-to-date moral concerns, covering some issues rarely touched upon in other ethics texts."--Christopher Innes, College of Western Idaho

"If there's a more comprehensive textbook on the market, I'm not aware of it. The Moral Life covers all the major areas that I teach in an introductory ethics course."--Tamler Sommers, University of Houston

"The Moral Life is a well-written text combining literature with philosophical theories. It has a good organization, deals with diverse issues, offers applied ethics, and has a list price that is fair for students."--Connie Humphreys, Urbana University