Exploring Ethics: An Introductory Anthology

Exploring Ethics: An Introductory Anthology, Second Edition, is a remarkably accessible, concise, and engaging introduction to moral philosophy. Steven M. Cahn brings together a rich, balanced, and wide-ranging collection of forty classic and contemporary readings. Most importantly, he has carefully edited the articles so that they will be exceptionally clear and understandable to undergraduate students. The selections are organized into three parts, providing instructors with flexibility in designing and teaching a variety of ethics courses. The first part, Challenges to Morality, considers the overly simple assumptions that beginning students may bring to moral issues. The second part, Moral Theories, provides selections from the most influential ethical theories of the past along with commentary by contemporary thinkers. In the third part, Moral Problems, the readings present the current debates over abortion, euthanasia, famine relief, terrorism, torture, affirmative action, animal rights, and the environment. Part III concludes with essays on death and the meaning of life. Each reading is preceded by a detailed introduction and followed by study questions that encourage students to think philosophically.

The second edition features eight new selections by Plato, Virginia Held, Daniel Hill, Rosalind Hursthouse, Thomas Nagel, Henry Shue, Elliott Sober, and Richard Taylor. The selections by Thomas Hobbes, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bernard Mayo have been newly edited for this edition. Ideal for courses in introductory ethics or contemporary moral problems, Exploring Ethics can be used independently or as a companion to a single-authored text. The text is accompanied by an Instructor's Manual that includes a test bank, key terms, reading summaries, and PowerPoint-based lecture slides. A Companion Website at www.oup.com/us/cahn offers student resources including essay questions, flash cards, and a glossary.