10th Edition
Morality and Moral Controversies Readings in Moral, Social, and Political Philosophy
Morality and Moral Controversies, 10th Edition challenges students to critically assess today’s leading moral, social, and political issues. As a comprehensive anthology, it provides students with the tools they need to understand the philosophical ideas that are currently shaping our world.
The 10th edition includes classic and contemporary readings in moral theory, the most current topics in applied ethics, and updated debates in social and political philosophy. As in the previous nine editions, the materials were selected for balance, timeliness, and accessibility after reviewing a vast range of possible articles from leading scholarly journals, mainstream periodicals, online posts, and book chapters. Hallmarks include carefully edited and philosophically relevant U.S. Supreme Court decisions, compelling readings, and contrasting points of view that reflect a broad ethical and political spectrum.
Upon completing this book, readers will be able to:
- Understand philosophical ideas that are shaping the world today.
- Apply various philosophical ideas to politics, religion, ethics, economics, personal relationships, medicine, the environment and climate change, warfare, and other areas.
- Appreciate how to construct, apply, and evaluate basic philosophical arguments.
Key updates to the 10th edition include:
- All material published in the actual book (in contrast to placing sections online behind a paywall, as was the case in earlier editions with a different publisher).
- New readings on:
- autonomous warfare
- self-driving cars
- the right to health care
- technology and privacy
- the value of democracy
- racial equality
- immigration.
PART I MORAL THINKING
Chapter 1 Self-Interest, Religion, and Conscience
Leviathan: Morality as Rational Advantage Thomas Hobbes
Morality and Rational Self-Interest Baruch Brody
Divine Commands and the Social Nature of Obligation Robert Merrihew Adams
Morality, Religion, and Conscience John Arthur
The Conscience of Huckleberry Finn Jonathan Bennett
Chapter 2 The Sources and Grounds of Morality
The Sources of Moral Ideas: Society, Custom, and Sympathy Edward Westermarck
Trying Out One’s New Sword Mary Midgley
Morality Is Based on Sentiment David Hume
Morality and Normativity Michael J. Perry
The Moral Instinct Steven Pinker
Chapter 3 Classical and Contemporary Theories of Morality
Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle
The Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals Immanuel Kant
Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill
Intuitionism W. D. Ross
Kant and Utilitarianism Contrasted Onora O’Neill
The Real and Alleged Problems of Utilitarianism Richard B. Brandt
The Ethics of Care as Moral Theory Virginia Held
PART II LIFE AND DEATH
Chapter 4 Terrorism and Torture
Is Terrorism Morally Distinctive? Samuel Scheffler
Torture: The Case for Dirty Harry Uwe Steinhoff
Training Torturers: A Critique of the "Ticking Bomb" Argument Jessica Wolfendale
Chapter 5 War, Autonomous Machines, and the Arms Trade
On the Morality of War Richard A. Wasserstrom
The Morality of Pacifism Cheyney Ryan
When is a Robot a Moral Agent? John P. Sullins
Autonomous Machines, Moral Judgement, and Acting for the Right Reasons Duncan Purves, Ryan Jenkins, and Bradley J. Strawser
Weapons, Security, and Oppression: A Normative Study of International Arms Transfers James Christensen
Chapter 6 Capital Punishment
The Death Penalty Gregg v. Georgia
Desert and Capital Punishment Martin Perlmutter
The Ultimate Punishment Ernest van den Haag
Abolishing the Death Penalty Even for the Worst Murderers Hugo Adam Bedau
Justice, Civilization, and the Death Penalty Jeffrey H. Reiman
Chapter 7 Animals, Environmentalism, and Climate
All Animals Are Equal Peter Singer
Speciesism and the Idea of Equality Bonnie Steinbock
People or Penguins William F. Baxter
The Land Ethic: Animal Liberation and Environmentalism J. Baird Callicott
Two Kinds of Climate Justice: Avoiding Harm and Sharing Burdens Simon Caney
Chapter 8 Cloning and Abortion
The Ethics of Cloning-to-Produce-Children The President’s Council on Bioethics
The Constitutional Right to Abortion Roe v. Wade
A Defense of Abortion Judith Jarvis Thomson
On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion Mary Anne Warren
Abortion and the Concept of a Person Jane English
An Argument That Abortion Is Wrong Don Marquis
Fathers and Fetuses George W. Harris
Chapter 9 Health Care and Deciding Who Should Live
The Medical Minimum: Zero Jan Narveson
A Right to Health Care Pavlos Eleftheriadis
Requiring Medical Treatment JFK Memorial Hospital v. Heston
Death With Dignity Act Gonzales v. Oregon
Aging and the Ends of Medicine Daniel Callahan
The Survival Lottery John Harris
PART III PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Chapter 10 Love and Sex
Duties Toward the Body in Respect to Sexual Impulse Immanuel Kant
Plain Sex Alan H. Goldman
Gay Basics: Some Questions, Facts, and Values Richard D. Mohr
What is the Point of Love? Carolyn Price
Chapter 11 Family and Friendship
Is Adultery Immoral? Richard A. Wasserstrom
Licensing Parents Hugh LaFollette
Can Parents and Children Be Friends? Joseph Kupfer
Parents and Children as Friends Kristján Kristjánsson
What Do Grown Children Owe Their Parents? Jane English
Chapter 12 Personal Dimensions of Technology: Friendships, Self-Driving Cars, and Privacy
Is Google Making Us Stupid? Nicholas Carr
Friendship in the Shadow of Technology Laurence Thomas
Social Networking Sites and Our Lives Pew Internet and American Life Project
Why Ethics Matters for Autonomous Cars Patrick Lin
Technology and New Challenges for Privacy Leslie P. Francis
The Benefits of Being Watched Andrew Oberg
Privacy, Neuroscience and Neuro-Surveillance Adam D. Moore
PART IV POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
Chapter 13 The Ideal State
The Second Treatise of Government John Locke
Libertarian Justice Tibor R. Machan
On Liberty John Stuart Mill
On Representative Government John Stuart Mill
A Theory of Justice John Rawls
Chapter 14 Protests, Patriotism, and the Rule of Law
Flag Burning as Constitutionally Protected Texas v. Johnson
Is Patriotism a Virtue? Alasdair MacIntyre
Patriotism as Bad Faith Simon Keller
Frederick Douglass’s Patriotism Bernard Boxill
Letter from a Birmingham Jail Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Crito Plato
Legitimate and Illegitimate Uses of Police Force John Kleinig
Chapter 15 Democracy: Foundations, Recent Contributions, and Global Challenges
Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln
What Justifies Democracy and Rule Over None II: Social Equality and the Justification of Democracy Niko Kolodny
Are Charter Cities Legitimate Rahul Sagar
Political Morality and the Authority of Tradition Steven Wall
Transnational Legal Sites and Democracy-Building Seyla Benhabib
Social Movements Avery Kolers
Chapter 16 Liberty: Free Speech and Drug Use
Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion John Stuart Mill
Power in Public: Reactions, Responses, and Resistance to Offensive Public Speech Laura Beth Nielsen
The Social Benefits of Protecting Hate Speech and Exposing Sources of Prejudice Marcus Schulzke
Organized Protests and Free Speech Snyder v Phelps (Westboro Baptist Church)
Nazi Marches Village of Skokie v. National Socialist Party
Do Corporations Have Freedom of Speech? Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
The Ethics of Smoking Robert E. Goodin
Addiction and Drug Policy Daniel Shapiro
The Ethics of Addiction: An Argument in Favor of Letting Americans Take Any Drug They Want Thomas Szasz
Chapter 17 Economic Justice: Markets and Property
Of Justice David Hume
The Entitlement Theory Robert Nozick
Inequality and Other Problems with Nozick’s Libertarianism John Rawls
Money and Commodities Michael Walzer
Property Rights and Eminent Domain Kelo v. City of New London
The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits Milton Friedman
Rethinking the Social Responsibility of Business: A Debate John Mackey and Milton Friedman
Chapter 18 Race, Gender, and Affirmative Action
Separate But Equal? Brown v. Board of Education
Rethinking the Problem of the Ghetto Tommie Shelby
Affirmative Action in Higher Education Grutter v. Bollinger
Affirmative Action in Higher Education Gratz v. Bollinger
Reverse Discrimination James Rachels
The Subjection of Women John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor
Sexual Equality and Discrimination: Difference vs. Dominance Will Kymlicka
Social Movements and the Politics of Difference Iris Marion Young
Freedom, Conditioning, and the Real Woman Janet Radcliffe Richards
Chapter 19 Immigration, National Boundaries, and Multiculturalism
The Ethics of Immigration Joseph H. Carens
Immigration and Democratic Principles: On Carens' Ethics of Immigration Sarah Song
Immigration and Freedom of Association Christopher Heath Wellman
Multiculturalism: A Liberal Perspective Joseph Raz
Reason Before Identity Amartya Sen
Assimilation and Cultural Identity Wisconsin v. Yoder
Appendix: The Bill of Rights and Fourteenth Amendment
Biography
Steven Scalet is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Baltimore (UB), where he helped launch the Program in Philosophy, Law, and Ethics. Prior to working at UB, he directed the Program in Philosophy, Politics, and Law at Binghamton University (State University of New York, SUNY), and received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Scalet received his Ph.D. in Philosophy and M.A. in Economics from the University of Arizona. Scalet is the author of Markets, Ethics, and Business Ethics, 2nd Edition (2018).
John Arthur (1946–2007) was a professor of philosophy with areas of specialization in legal theory, social ethics, and political philosophy. He authored several books, including Race, Equality, and the Burdens of History (2007). He taught at Binghamton University for eighteen years.
