A comprehensive, accessible survey of ethics from ancient times to the modern day.
This book offers a clear map of the major theories, their origins, and how they apply to everyday life and decision making.
It divides ethics into three parts: theoretical ethics, practical ethics, and the history of ethics. You’ll find discussions of the concepts that shape moral thought, the systems that critics and supporters have proposed, and how ideas have evolved across cultures and eras. The work links ideas about the good, duty, law, and moral evil to real questions about character, responsibility, and the aims of human life.
- Three-part framework: theoretical ethics, practical ethics, and history of ethics
- Core ideas like right and wrong, ends and means, and freedom and responsibility
- Profiles of major ethical systems and their development through history
- Connections between ethical theory and everyday conduct, law, and society
Ideal for readers seeking a solid introduction to ethical theory, its history, and its relevance to personal and public life.