Basic Moral Philosophy [Paperback]

Robert L. Holmes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 24, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0534584772 | ISBN-13: 978-0534584771 | Edition: 3

Striving for a comprehensiveness that is rare in introductory ethics texts, BASIC MORAL PHILOSOPHY introduces students without prior backgrounds in ethics to a clear and systematic approach to ethical theories. Illustrating the historical roots of ethical theories and placing individual theories in the broader context of moral philosophy's basic problems, the text presents reasoned assessments of various theories in order to help students actively engage the material and develop their own views. This versatile book can be used in a number of different fashions: as a core text in any introductory ethics course, as a short introductory section on ethical theory at the beginning of a problems course or other courses in applied ethics (e.g., bioethics), as the ethics component of an introduction to philosophy course, or finally, as a supplementary review text for more advanced undergraduates and graduate students.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Receiving his Ph.D. from The University of Michigan, Robert L. Holmes teaches at the University of Rochester. He has published a number of articles and books in the area of moral philosophy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 3 edition (July 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534584772
• ISBN-13: 978-0534584771
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,309,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Within expectations for a book this expensive, April 26, 2005

By 

Henry Stephenson (Monterey, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Basic Moral Philosophy (Paperback)

This is just about as useful an introduction to moral philosophy as one could reasonably expect from a college textbook these days. First, a word on value: Although most college students will find it unremarkable to pay $50 for a paperback this thin, those of you who have received your degrees and become real-world consumers will not experience that warm and fuzzy "I-got-a-great-deal!" feeling when you open the box from Amazon.

That said, the author is obviously an intelligent and precise thinker who covers this difficult topic lucidly and efficiently. In the long-run, overpaying a bit for this knowledge is not a significant issue. Holmes deploys a very careful system for classifying ethical theories that goes beyond the typical dichotomy between teleological and deontological approaches. That more simple distinction is still useful and often adequate, and Holmes himself reverts to it frequently. But his more diligent sorting of the role of consequences in the various theories is instructive and supports his discussions of the ultimate distinctions between them.

It is a testament to Holmes' mastery of his subject and skill as a writer that he excels at the formidable task of explaining Kantian ethics in a limited space... so much so that I almost wish he would have stopped there. By this, I mean that the inclusion of "feminist ethics" alongside the moral philosophies of thinkers like Aristotle, J.S. Mill, Kant, and Rawls is a real downer--a depressing reminder of the pathetic state of intellectualism today. I suppose it is inevitable that Holmes would have to pay homage to feminism in any book that he hoped to sell in college campuses these days. Obviously aware of the immense stupidity and comical vulnerability these ideas, he is maddeningly patient with them, withholding the more rigorous critiques that he has proven capable of directing against serious ethical theories. To his credit, Holmes does not let feminism completely off the hook... but this is not a lot to ask of a moral philosopher who is evaluating a theory that begins with the elevation of sexuality--hormones, essentially--to metaethical status.

Beyond the wasted ink on feminism in an already overcrowded outline, there is another disappointment: Holmes' concluding chapter, in which he advances a pragmatist ethics whose justification is rather sloppy compared to those offered for the other theories in the book.

In the final analysis, however, this is a good product. It leaves the reader with a solid grounding in the fundamental issues and paradigmatic ideas of moral philosophy, from which readers can progress, via other means, toward their own conclusions. Personally, I recommend John Rawls' "Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy" as a follow-on purchase, with which readers can experience the full intellectual power of Kantianism in contrast to the modern alternatives that Holmes dutifully (ha!) presents here.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Overpriced And Dry, July 9, 2006

By 

S. Peek (Rocky Mountains, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Basic Moral Philosophy (Paperback)

In a word, this is boring. It is definitely written like far too many textbooks - dry and not particularly user friendly.

It is also - like most textbooks - very overpriced. The value is highly questionable.

My advice is that if you must have this for a class - buy it used. At least you won't bet robbed quite so badly.

That being said, the author does a reasonably good job of reviewing various ethical theories. If you need a good sleeping aid, this may be the ticket.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars so boring, January 27, 2007

By 

Macbook owner - See all my reviews

This review is from: Basic Moral Philosophy (Paperback)

My professor is actually the author of this book so not only do I have to read this impossibly boring book, but I also get the lectures too. The book is incredibly wordly and phrases things in more complex ways than need be. I read about a page and need to take a break and often times I'll read the page and have no idea what I read because it's so boring. So, unless you need it for class, I don't recommend this as a joy-read.