Thinking Ethically: A Handbook for Making Moral Choices

Do we really need to be divided from those whose opinions are different from our own? And are there ways that we can overcome these differences and divisions?

Exploring a variety of moral issues through engaging, real-life examples—including promise keeping, lying, adultery, favoring our friends and loved ones, harming innocent people for the good of the majority, the obligation to give to charity, and other ethical quandaries, Thinking Ethically: A Handbook for Making Moral Choices doesn’t tell you what to think or do! Using common—as well as hot-button—issues, it explores different points of view to illustrate how people make moral judgments and decisions.

While conclusions may differ, this thought-provoking guide shows that people share the same moral foundations of honesty, kindness, promise-keeping, and a commitment to not harming others—and recognizes that our shared values can help heal other divisions! By explaining how we can all use our natural ability to think, debate, and evolve, this enlightening book offers numerous valuable insights, including …

Scott Gelfand, PhD, JD, is a certified philosophical counselor and professor in the Department of Philosophy at Oklahoma State University, where he has taught a variety of undergraduate courses, including Ethical Theory, Philosophy and Culture, and Introduction to Philosophy. He received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Maryland and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. His academic publications focus on a variety of issues in ethics, including theoretical ethics, biomedical ethics, and research ethics. He’s devoted the last decade of his career to trying to better understand moral and political division in the United States as well as ways to heal or alleviate this division, leading to his first book for a general audience, Thinking Ethically: A Handbook for Making Moral Choices. He lives in Chicago.