I. ETHICAL THEORY: FOUR APPROACHES TO ETHICS. 1. The Nature of Ethics.
The Classical View of Ethics: Plato, Crito. A Contemporary View of Ethics: Edward Wastemarck, “Ethical Relativity,” A Second Contemporary View of Ethics: A.J. Ayer, “Emotivism.” A Contemporary Version of The Classical View: James Rachels, “Can Ethics Provide Answers?” 2. Natural Law Ethics.
The Classical Version of Natural Law Ethic: Saint Thomas Aquinas, Treatise on Law and Justice. A Contemporary Version of Natural Law Ethics: Germain Grisez, “Ethical Arguments.” 3. Kantian Ethics.
The Classical Version of Kantian Ethics: Immanuel Kant, Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals. A Contemporary Version of Kantian Ethics: R.M. Hare, “Moral Reasoning.” 4. Utilitarian Ethics.
The Classical Version of Utilitarian Ethics: J.S. Mill, Utilitarianism. A Contemporary Version of Utilitarian Ethics: Richard B. Brandt, “Toward a Credible Form of Utilitarianism.” 5. Social Contract Ethics.
The Classical Version of Social Contract Ethics: thomas Hobbes, Leviathan. A Contemporary Version of Social Contract Ethics: John Rawls: A Theory of Justice.
II. ETHICS IN PRACTICE: CONTEMPORARY MORAL ISSUES. 6. Applying Moral Theory: The Issue of Torture.
Michael Levin, “The Case for Torture.” Henry Shue, “Torture.” 7. The Ethics of Nuclear War.
John R. Connery, “Morality of Nuclear Armament.” John C. Ford, “The Hydrogen Bombing of Cities.” Manuel Velasquez, “The Morality of Using Nuclear Weapons.” Douglas Lackey, “Ethics and Nuclear Deterrence.” Christopher W. Morris, “The Ethics of Nuclear Deterrence: A Contractarian Account.” 8. The Ethics of Suicide.
Germain Grisez and Joseph M. Boyle, Jr., “Suicide and Causing One's Own Death.” Alan Donagan, “Duties of Human Beings to Themselves.” Richard B. Brandt, “The Morality and Rationality of Suicide.” 9. Ethical Issues in Abortion.
Michael Tooley, “Abortion and Infantcide.” Mary Anne Warren, “On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion.” Richard Werner, “Abortion: The Moral Status of the Unborn.” Judith Jarvis Thomson, “A Defense of Abortion.” John Finnis, “The Rights and Wrongs of Abortion.” R.M. Hare, “Abortion and the Golden Rule.” 10. The Ethics of Euthanasia.
James Rachels, “Active and Passive Euthanasia.” Tom L. Beauchamp, “A Reply to Rachels on Active and Passive Euthanasia.” J. Gay-Williams, “The Wrongfulness of Euthanasia.” Bertram and Elsie Bandman, “Rights, Justice, and Euthanasia.” 11. Sexual Ethics.
Thomas Nagel, “Sexual Perversion.” Robert Solomon, “Sex and Perversion.” Alan H. Golman, “Plain Sex.” Donald Levy, “Perversion and the Unnatural as Moral Categories.” John M. Finnis, “Natural Law and Unnatural Acts.” Burton M. Leiser, “Homosexuality and the Unnaturalness Argument.” Raymond A. Belliotti, “A Philosophical Analysis of Sexual Ethics.” 12. Aid for the Needy.
Peter Singer, “Famine, Affluence, and Morality.” Garrett Hardin, “Carrying Capacity as an Ethical Concept.” Alan Gewirth, “Starvation and Human Rights.” James P. Sterba, “Human Rights: A Social Contract Perspective.” Joseph M. Boyle, “The Concept of Health and the Right to Health Care.” 13. Racism and Sexism.
Thomas E. Hill, Jr., “Servility and Self-Respect.” Joyce Trebilcot, “Sex Roles: The Argument from Nature.” James W. Nickel, “Preferential Policies in Hiring and Admissions: A Jurisprudential Approach.” George Sher, “Justifying Reverse Discrimination in Employment.” 14. Capital Punishment.
Steven Goldberg, “Does Capital Punishment Deter?” David A. Conway, “Capital Punishment and Deterrence: Some Considerations in Dialogue Form.” Jeffie G. Murphy, “Marxism and Retribution.” Richard B. Brandt, “A Utilitarian Theory of Criminal Punishment.” 15. Ethics and the Environment.
William T. Blackstone, “Ethics and Ecology.” Ronald M. Green, “Intergenerational Distributive Justice and Environmental Responsibility.” Joel Feinberg, “The Rights of Animals and Unborn Generations.” Peter Singer, “Not for Humans Only: The Place of Nonhumans and Environmental Issues.” Martin Benjamin, “Ethics and Animal Consciousness.”