First Principles of Ethics

First Principles Of Ethics by J. T. Champlin. This work presents ethics as a practical science, aiming to provide a concise, rational foundation for moral instruction. Champlin argues that ethics studies the laws of right action in intelligent beings, focusing on acts, motives, and character, and distinguishing right from wrong as conformity to natural or rational standards. The book surveys major topics such as the grounds of right and wrong (whether in human nature, the will of God, or the nature of things), the role of freedom of will, and the relation of knowledge and feeling in action. It offers systematic treatments of virtue through cardinal virtues— Justice, Veracity, Benevolence, Prudence, and Piety— with discussions on property, life, liberty, reputation, and the duties arising from conscience and revealed religion. A supplement provides a historical abstract of competing moral theories. The volume is a 19th-century ethical treatise intended for instruction in schools and colleges, and it articulates a normative framework for practical ethics.