The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature - Softcover

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115 ratings by Goodreads

9780195166088: The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195166086 ISBN 13: 9780195166088

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2004

The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature, Second Edition, brings together an extensive and varied collection of ninety-two classical and contemporary readings on ethical theory and practice. Integrating literature with philosophy in an innovative way, editor Louis P. Pojman 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 philosophical concepts and issues such as relativism; utilitarianism; virtue ethics; the meaning of life; freedom; sex, love, and marriage; and environmental ethics. Once introduced, these topics are developed further through readings by philosophers including Aristotle, Jane English, Thomas E. Hill, Jr., Jean-Paul Sartre, and Bernard Williams. This unique anthology emphasizes the personal dimension of ethics, which is often ignored or minimized in ethics texts. The second edition offers several new selections including work by Maya Angelou, Kevin Bales, John Benson, Susan Glaspell, C. S. Lewis, R. M. MacIver, Plato, Plutarch, James Rachels, Ayn Rand, Voltaire, and Kurt Vonnegut. It also adds a new chapter on justice and the threat of terrorism featuring material from the Old Testament--in which the equivalent of a jihad occurs--followed by philosophical analyses by Martha Nussbaum and Louis P. Pojman.
Featuring expanded part and chapter introductions as well as biographical sketches, abstracts, and study questions for each reading selection, The Moral Life, 2/e, is ideal for introductory ethics courses. It also provides an engaging gateway into personal and social ethics for the general reader.

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About the Author:

Louis P. Pojman is at United States Military Academy.

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

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