Ethics

Louis P. Pojman (1935-2005) was Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, at the United States Military Academy and a Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University. He received an M.A. and Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary/Columbia University. He was a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Copenhagen and a Rockefeller Fellow at Hamburg University. He received his D.Phil. in Philosophy from Oxford University in 1997.His first position was at the University of Notre Dame, after which he taught at the University of Texas at Dallas. Later, at the University of Mississippi, he served for three years as Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion. In 1995, he became Professor of Philosophy at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He most recently was Visiting Professor at Brigham Young University in Utah and Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall, Oxford University. Pojman won several research and teaching awards, including the Burlington Northern Award for Outstanding Teaching and Scholarship (1988) and the Outstanding Scholar/Teacher in the Humanities at the University of Mississippi (1994). He wrote in the areas of philosophy of religion, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy and authored or edited more than 30 books and 100 articles. Louis Pojman passed away in 2005. James Fieser is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tennessee at Martin. He received his B.A. from Berea College and his M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy from Purdue University. He is author, co-author, or editor of ten textbooks, including SOCRATES TO SARTRE AND BEYOND (9/e 2011), ETHICAL THEORY: CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY READINGS (6/e 2010), A HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY (2003), and MORAL PHILOSOPHY THROUGH THE AGES (2001). He has edited and annotated the ten-volume EARLY RESPONSES TO HUME (2/e 2005) and the five-volume SCOTTISH COMMON SENSE PHILOSOPHY (2000). He is founder and general editor of the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy website (http://www.iep.utm.edu).

• 1. WHAT IS ETHICS?Ethics and Its Subdivisions. Morality as Compared with Other Normative Subjects. Traits of Moral Principles. Domains of Ethical Assessment. Conclusion.2. ETHICAL RELATIVISM.Subjective Ethical Relativism. Conventional Ethical Relativism. Criticisms of Conventional Ethical Relativism. Conclusion.3. MORAL OBJECTIVISM.Aquinas' Objectivism and Absolutism. Moderate Objectivism. Ethical Situationalism. Conclusion.4. VALUE AND THE QUEST FOR THE GOOD.Types of Values. Foundational Nature of Values. The Good Life. Conclusion.5. SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY AND THE MOTIVE TO BE MORAL.Why Does Society Need Moral Rules? Why Should I Be Moral? Morality, Self-Interest, and Game Theory. The Motive to Always Be Moral. Conclusion.6. EGOISM, SELF-INTEREST, AND ALTRUISM.Psychological Egoism. Ethical Egoism. Arguments Against Ethical Egoism. Conclusion.7. UTILITARIANISM.Classic Utilitarianism. Act- and Rule-Utilitarianism. Criticism of Utilitarianism. Criticism of Ends Justifying Immoral Means. Conclusion.8. KANT AND DEONTOLOGICAL THEORIES.Kant's Influences. The Categorical Imperative. Counterexamples to the Principle of the Law of Nature. Other Formulations of the Categorical Imperative. The Problem of Exceptionless Rules. Conclusion.9. VIRTUE THEORY.The Nature of Virtue Ethics. Criticisms of Action-Based Ethics. Connections Between Virtue-Based and Action-Based Ethics. Conclusion.10. BIOLOGY AND ETHICS.Moral Behavior in Animals. Morality and Human Evolution. What is Left for Traditional Morality? Conclusion.11. GENDER AND ETHICS.Classic Views. Female Care Ethics. Four Options Regarding Gender and Ethics. Conclusion.12. RELIGION AND ETHICS.Does Morality Depend on Religion? Is Religion Irrelevant or Even Contrary to Morality? Does Religion Enhance the Moral Life? Conclusion.13. THE FACT-VALUE PROBLEM.Hume and Moore: The Problem Classically Stated. Ayer and Emotivism. Hare and Prescriptivism. Naturalism and the Fact-Value Problem. Conclusion.14. MORAL REALISM AND THE CHALLENGE OF SKEPTICISM.Mackie's Moral Skepticism. Harman's Moral Nihilism. A Defense of Moral Realism. Conclusion.Appendix.Glossary.Index.