A Practical Companion to Ethics

A Practical Companion to Ethics, Fifth Edition, is a concise and accessible introduction to the basic attitudes and skills that make ethics work, like thinking for oneself, creative and integrative problem-solving, and keeping an open mind. This unique volume illuminates the broad kinds of practical intelligence required in moral judgment, complementing the narrower theoretical considerations that often dominate ethics courses. It offers practical instruction in problem-solving by demonstrating how to frame an ethical problem and deal effectively with ethical disagreements. The book also presents ethics as an ongoing learning experience, helping students to engage constructively with both the complexities of their individual lives and with the larger issues that exist in the world around them.

The fifth edition retains the most popular features of the previous edition, including challenging and relevant end-of-chapter exercises and brief text boxes that define key terms and review core strategies. The optimistic tone and brisk pace of the narrative provide an entertaining and intelligent guide to "everyday" morality. Ideal for introductory courses in ethics and applied ethics, A Practical Companion to Ethics, Fifth Edition, can also be used in any course related to critical thinking.

Anthony Weston is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies at Elon University. He is the author of A 21st Century Ethical Toolbox, Fourth Edition (OUP, 2017), Mobilizing the Green Imagination: An Exuberant Manifesto (2012), and dozens of other books and articles.

Preface

CHAPTER 1. Who Needs Ethics?
Flying by Instinct
Dogmatists and Rationalizers
Ethics and Diversity
For Practice

CHAPTER 2. Thinking for Yourself
Beyond Moral Rules
Beyond the Law
Beyond Commandments
For Practice

CHAPTER 3. An Eye for Moral Values
Families of Moral Values
Using the Families of Moral Values
Ethical Theories
For Practice

CHAPTER 4. When Values Clash
Right versus Right
Balancing and Integrating Values
Moral Vision
For Practice

CHAPTER 5. Creative Problem-Solving in Ethics 6
Creativity's Promise in Ethics
How to Expand Possibilities
Reframing Ethical Problems
For Practice

CHAPTER 6. Making a Difference
Changing Our Lives
Changing the World
Changing Ethics
For Practice

Eight Tips for Effective Writing in Ethics
Notes and Sources
Index