Ethics: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy) - Softcover

Harry J. Gensler

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0415156254 ISBN 13: 9780415156257

Publisher: Routledge, 1998

Synopsis

Ethics introduces the issues and controversies of contemporary moral philosophy to undergraduate students who have already done an introductory course in philosophy. It will help students to think more clearly about how to form their moral beliefs in the wisest and most rational way. The basic approaches to metaethics and normative ethics are related to specific issues, particularly those of racism, education, and abortion. Written in a clear and concise way by an experienced textbook author, Ethics will also be of interest to the general reader.
Unique features of the textbook:
* boxed key ideas
* Glossary of philosophical terms
* Chapter summaries and study questions
* Annotated further reading and Internet Web resources
There is an associated website for teachers and students at www.routledge.com/routledge/philosophy/cip/ethics.htm

About this title

About the Author

Harry J. Gensler is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Scranton. He is the author of Logic: Analyzing and Appraising Arguments (1989), Symbolic Logic: Classical and Advanced Systems(1990) and Formal Ethics (1996)

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

My name is Ima Relativist. I've embraced cultural relativism as I've come to appreciate the deeply cultural basis for morality.

I was brought up to believe that morality is about objective facts. Just as snow is white, so also infanticide is wrong. But attitudes vary with time and place. The norms that I was taught are the norms of my own society; other societies have different ones. Morality is a cultural construct. Just as societies create different styles of food and clothing, so too they create different moral codes. I've learned about these in my anthropology class and experienced them as an exchange student in Mexico.

Consider my belief that infanticide is wrong. I was taught this as if it were an objective standard. But it isn't; it's just what my society holds. When I say "Infanticide is wrong," this just means that my society disapproves of it. For the ancient Romans, on the other hand, infanticide was all right. There's no sense in asking which side here is "correct." Their view is true relative to their culture, and our view is true relative to ours. There are no objective truths about right or wrong. When we claim otherwise, we're just imposing our culturally taught attitudes as the "objective truth."

[The explanation of cultural relativism continues for several paragraphs -- and is followed by a criticism of the view.]

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415156254
• ISBN 13: 9780415156257
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224