Esteemed moral philosopher James Rachels here collects fifteen essays, some classic and others extensively revised, on the nature and limits of moral reasoning. Rachels argues that, rather than simply expressing societal conventions, moral philosophy can subvert received opinion and replace it with something better. Combining a concern for ethical theory with a discussion of practical moral issues such as euthanasia, the rights of animals, privacy, and affirmative action. Can Ethics Provide Answers is an excellent collection for students, scholars, and anyone concerned with the degree to which our principles can guide our policies.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
...An excellent collection of articles...Rachels is among the very best applied ethicists around...In a prose style that makes the volume both very accessible and enormously readable, Rachels carefully presents and sifts arguments in the best philosophical manner. (R.G. Frey )
From now on we should disregard whatever columnists and commentators say about ethical issues, if they have not read Can Ethics Provide Answers? Whether or not Rachels' readers agree with his conclusions, in his clear and reasoned essays they have before them a model of how we should discuss questions in ethics. (Singer, Peter )
As one would expect from Rachels, the essays are clear, thoughtful, engaging, and well argued. (John Lemos Teaching Philosophy )
The essays are always stimulating, highly insightful, and unwaveringly clear. Good reading for philosophers and for students. (LaFollette, Hugh )
From now on we should disregard whatever columnists and commentators say about ethical issues, if they have not read Can Ethics Provide Answers? Whether or not Rachels' readers agree with his conclusions, in his clear and reasoned essays they have before them a model of how we should discuss questions in ethics. (Singer, Peter )
As one would expect from Rachels, the essays are clear, thoughtful, engaging, and well argued. (John Lemos Teaching Philosophy )
The essays are always stimulating, highly insightful, and unwaveringly clear. Good reading for philosophers and for students. (LaFollette, Hugh )
About the Author
James Rachels is University Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is the author of Created from Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism, The End of Life: Euthanasia and Morality, and The Elements of Moral Philosophy.
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James Rachels, the distinguished American moral philosopher, was born in Columbus, Georgia, graduating from Mercer University in Macon in 1962. He received his Ph.D. in 1967. In 1975, Rachels wrote 'Active and Passive Euthanasia,' arguing that the distinction so important in the law between killing and letting die has no rational basis. Originally appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine, this essay has been reprinted roughly 300 times and is a staple of undergraduate education. The End of Life (1986) was about the morality of killing and the value of life. Created from Animals (1990) argued that a Darwinian world-view has widespread philosophical implications, including drastic implications for our treatment of nonhuman animals. Can Ethics Provide Answers? (1997) was Rachels' first collection of papers (others are expected posthumously). Rachels' McGraw-Hill textbook, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, is now in its fourth edition and is easily the best-selling book of its kind.
Over his career, Rachels wrote 5 books and 85 essays, edited 7 books and gave about 275 professional lectures. His work has been translated into Dutch, Italian, Japanese, and Serbo-Croatian. James Rachels is widely admired as a stylist, as his prose is remarkably free of jargon and clutter. A major theme in his work is that reason can resolve difficult moral issues. He has given reasons for moral vegetarianism and animal rights, for affirmative action (including quotas), for the humanitarian use of euthanasia, and for the idea that parents owe as much moral consideration to other people's children as they do to their own.
James Rachels died of cancer on September 5th, 2003, in Birmingham, Alabama.
Over his career, Rachels wrote 5 books and 85 essays, edited 7 books and gave about 275 professional lectures. His work has been translated into Dutch, Italian, Japanese, and Serbo-Croatian. James Rachels is widely admired as a stylist, as his prose is remarkably free of jargon and clutter. A major theme in his work is that reason can resolve difficult moral issues. He has given reasons for moral vegetarianism and animal rights, for affirmative action (including quotas), for the humanitarian use of euthanasia, and for the idea that parents owe as much moral consideration to other people's children as they do to their own.
James Rachels died of cancer on September 5th, 2003, in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rachels' best essays; about Professor Rachels,
This review is from: Can Ethics Provide Answers? (Paperback)
This is a great collection of some of Rachels' best essays. They are clearly written and show someone engaged in moral philosophy at its best. I highly recommend them. Professor Rachels recently passed away from cancer (Sept. 6, 2003). Information about his life and work, and the eulogies given at his funeral, are avaiable here:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rachels is outstanding,
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This review is from: Can Ethics Provide Answers? (Paperback)
I love Prof. Rachels' books. This one, like his others, is clear, compassionate and well-reasoned. It very articulately walks the reader through the development of ethical systems and application of such to decision making. I recommend this book to anyone interested in ethics.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Resource,
By "nickerbokaglory" (Wiltshire, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Can Ethics Provide Answers? (Hardcover)
After much research on the issue of animal rights, I found Rachels book the pot of gold at the end of my rainbow! I would highly recommend this book for students studying or researching animal rights, Rachel picks out the key arguments and evaluates them most usefully.
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