Everyday Morality: An Introduction to Applied Ethics [Paperback]

Mike W. Martin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0534520340 | ISBN-13: 978-0534520342 | Edition: 3

The book is aimed at courses that combine theory and applied (practical) ethics, with an emphasis on the practical topics of everyday interest. This book is an introduction to the philosophy of morality as it applies to practical moral needs. Moral character is explored in all its dimensions: virtues, vices, attitudes, emotions, commitments, and personal relationships, in addition to right and wrong conduct. The aim is to stimulate personal reflection and group dialogue, rather than offer solutions. It seeks to sharpen ideas which we use as tools in coping responsibly with our daily lives.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mike W. Martin is Professor of Philosophy at Chapman University (Orange, California). He is the author of many articles in applied ethics, and he is author, coauthor, or editor of ten books, most recently FROM MORALITY TO MENTAL HEALTH: VIRTUE AND VICE IN A THERAPEUTIC CULTURE (from Oxford University Press).

Product Details

• Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 3 edition (April 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534520340
• ISBN-13: 978-0534520342
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,729,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A helpful and thorough intro to morality and its application, February 15, 2005

By 

Nicholas Soucy (Lansing, Mi United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Everyday Morality: An Introduction to Applied Ethics (Paperback)

This is the textbook used in my Introduction to Ethics Course.
Scholars and students will probably value this book as a handy reference book to keep in their collections.

I have to say that I think Martin is a bit biased against Ayn Rand's expression of the selfish egoist moral code. He pays her little compliment and does his best to speak of her first, to move on and influence readers to forget about her ideas. It's true that her arguments against altruism are weak, but ultimately, she made quite a bold contribution to the study of hedonism and indeed human nature.

That said,

The book is roughly structured as follows:
PART ONE:

An intro explaining what morality is and its application to the world.
An examination of utilitarianism, rights ethics, duty ethics, pragmatism and a 5-C test that attempts to judge the validity and value of the mentioned theories.

PART TWO:

Multiculturalism
Religion and its influence on moral thinking
Feminism and Racial/Ethnic Identity

PART THREE:

Contemporary and Historically Relevant Issues
Abortion, Animal Rights, Environmental Considerations, Suicide, Homosexuality, Pornography, Marriage and Love, Drug Abuse, etc.

This is quite a collection, and the ideas are presented clearly for most readers. I don't recommend paying full price for this book. You should buy a used version and save perhaps $30 by shopping at a local student bookstore, or perhaps from Amazon's used book section.

Again, as nonfiction goes, this is more an academic title, not to be read casually, but thoughtfully and with great care. I rate it at about 4.2 stars.

I predict that after reading this book, you'll be curious about the writings of several philosophers and ethical issues discussed in the text. For this reason, I think this is a great book, because it will motivate people to read more and to think critically about ideas that may otherwise seem unimportant or too difficult to approach.

In many ways, philosophy is the stuff of life. Some may be wary of studying it too extensively, for fear that it will not lead to a secure career, but honestly, this field of study is so interesting and fun and relevant to all people, that I think you'll find paying attention to ethics and philosophy will contribute to a more satisfying life.

This book is a pretty good starting point.