Both scholarly and practical, Ethics For Life, 7e provides a clear, well-organized overview of theoretical ethics. With a contemporary tone and framework, it aims to significantly improve students' ability to make real-life moral decisions. Multicultural coverage and attention to college students' moral development help readers relate the material to their own experience and their own moral growth.

Table of Contents:
Section I The Study of Ethics 1 CHAPTER 1 Ethics: An Overview 3 What Is Ethics? 5 Normative and Theoretical Ethics 8 Philosophy and the Search for Wisdom 12 Metaphysics and the Study of Human Nature 17 Moral Knowledge: Can Moral Beliefs Be True? 24 Summary 28 CHAPTER 2 Moral Reasoning 30 The Three Levels of Thinking 31 Moral Analysis and Praxis 35 Overcoming Resistance 37 The Role of Is and Ought Statements in Ethics 44 Recognizing and Constructing Moral Arguments 47 Avoiding Informal Fallacies 52 Resolving Moral Dilemmas 65 A Final Word 70 Summary 70 CHAPTER 3 Conscience and Moral Development 72 Ethics and Human Development 72 Conscience: Culturally Relative or Universal? 74 The Affective and Cognitive Sides of the Conscience 82 Lawrence Kohlberg: The Stage Theory of Moral Development 90 Carol Gilligan: The Care Perspective 95 The Four Components of Moral Behavior 99 Moral Maturity: Moving Beyond Ethical Relativism 105 Summary 107   Section II Ethical Relativism 109 CHAPTER 4 Ethical Subjectivism: Morality Is Just a Matter of Personal Feeling 111 What Is Ethical Subjectivism? 111 What Ethical Subjectivism Is Not 114 The Roots of Ethical Subjectivism in Romantic Sentimentalism 119 The Kitty Genovese Syndrome 123 Critique of Ethical Subjectivism 125 Summary 128         The Basic Idea of Ethical Subjectivism by James Rachels 129         Student Relativism by Stephen A. Satris 131 CHAPTER 5 Divine Command Theory and Civil Religion 133 Religion and Morality 134 The Divine Command Theory 135 Critique of Divine Command Theory 139 Civil Religion, Society, and National Morality 143 Religion and the Moral Community 149 Does Morality Need Religion? 152 Summary 156       Euthyphro by Plato 156 CHAPTER 6 Cultural Relativism: Is Morality Dependent on Culture? 159 What Is Cultural Relativism? 160 What Cultural Relativism Is Not 162 Distinguishing between Cultural and Sociological Relativism 166 Social Darwinian Ethics: The Concept of Moral Progress 170 Ruth Benedict: Cultural Relativism as a Protest against Social Darwinism 172 Cultural Relativism and the Moral Community 176 Cultural Relativism, Cross-Cultural Criticism, and Moral Progress 184 The Holocaust and Disillusionment with Cultural Relativism 188 Critique of Cultural Relativism 191 Summary 196       Anthropology and the Abnormal by Ruth Benedict 197   Section III Morality as Universal 199 CHAPTER 7 Ethical Egoism: Morality Is Acting in Our Best Self-Interest 201 What Is Ethical Egoism? 202 Thomas Hobbes: Psychological Egoism 204 Ayn Rand: Objectivist Ethics and Rational Ethical Egoism 209 Ethical Egoism and Laissez-Faire Capitalism 212 Ethical Egoism and the Moral Community 220 Self-Interest and Happiness 222 Critique of Ethical Egoism 224 Summary 228        Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes 229       The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand 231 CHAPTER 8 Utilitarianism: The Greatest Happiness Principle 233 Utilitarianism and the Principle of Utility 234 Jeremy Bentham: Utilitarianism and Social Reform 239 John Stuart Mill: Reformulation of Utilitarianism 245 Mo Tzu: Utilitarianism as Universal Love 250 Utilitarianism and the Moral Community 252 The Principle of Utility in Public Policy 256 Critique of Utilitarianism 262 Summary 267        An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation by Jeremy Bentham 268        Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill 269 CHAPTER 9 Natural Law Theory: Morality is Part of Rational Nature 271 What is Natural Law Ethics? 271 Thomas Aquinas: Catholic Natural Law Ethics 274 Just War Theory 278 Henry David Thoreau: Natural Law Theory, and Civil Disobedience 280 Natural Law Theory and Contemporary Moral Issues 287 Critique of Natural Law Theory 292 Summary 294        The Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas 295        On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau 296 CHAPTER 10 Deontology: The Ethics of Duty 299 Deontology and Duty 299 Immanuel Kant: The Categorical Imperative 302 The Good Will and Proper Self-Esteem 308 Confucius: Duty and the Community 314 Is the Duty Not to Lie Absolute? 316 Prima Facie Deontology 321 The Duty of Justice 327 Summary 337        The Analects of Confucius by Arthur Waley, Translator 338        Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Ethics by Immanuel Kant 340 CHAPTER 11 Rights Ethics 342 The Emergence of Rights Ethics in Modern Society 343 John Locke: Natural Rights Ethics 348 The Marxist Critique of Natural Rights Ethics 354 Rights and Duties 358 Liberty (Negative) Rights and Welfare (Positive) Rights 363 Rights and the Moral Community 369 Critique of Rights Ethics 375 Summary 377      The Universal Declaration of Human Rights by United Nations 379      Two Treatises of Civil Government by John Locke 380 CHAPTER 12 Virtue Ethics and the Good Life 383 Virtue Ethics and Character 384 Aristotle: Reason and Virtue 389 Aristotle and Confucius: The Doctrine of the Mean 391 David Hume: Sentiment and Virtue 393 Nel Noddings: Feminist Care Ethics 396 Is Virtue Relative to Culture, Social Status, and Gender? 402 Moral Integrity and the Unity of Virtue 408 Virtue and Moral Education 410 Critique of Virtue Ethics 414 Summary 416       Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle 417       Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral   Education by Nel Noddings 419 AFTERWORD Applying Moral Theory in Real Life 421 Glossary 424 Notes 429 Photo Credits 441 Index 442