MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH, Third Edition, is a collection of original essays by leading philosophers devoted to the major moral issues of the day, including abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, famine, war, suicide, the environment, and animal rights.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Tom Beauchamp is a well known and highly respected ethics professor. In addition to teaching at Georgetown University, he has served as a senior research scholar the Kennedy Instiute for the Study of Human Reproduction and Ethics. He has authored numerous successful texts, including Contemporary Issues in Bioethics (WAdsworth) and Ethical Theory in Business (PH). He was the General Editor with David Norton and M.A. Stewart of The Critical Ediotn of the Works of David Hume (Princeton U Press). He was formerly the Chairman of the Committee on Philosophy and Medicine of the American Philosophical Association and earned his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.
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 from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He taught at the University of Richmond, New York University, the University of Miami, Duke University, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he spent the last twenty-six years of his career. 1971 saw the publication of Rachels’ groundbreaking textbook Moral Problems, which ignited the movement in America away from teaching ethical theory towards teaching concrete practical issues. Moral Problems sold 100,000 copies over three editions. 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.
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 from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He taught at the University of Richmond, New York University, the University of Miami, Duke University, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he spent the last twenty-six years of his career. 1971 saw the publication of Rachels’ groundbreaking textbook Moral Problems, which ignited the movement in America away from teaching ethical theory towards teaching concrete practical issues. Moral Problems sold 100,000 copies over three editions. 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.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great introduction into some very important topics,
By NextTwain (Israel) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Matters of Life and Death (Paperback)
I read this book with an open mind, ready for anything. I was happily surprised to find that for a book with such political implications the authors remained true to their goal: discovery of the truth. No matter whether you agree with them or not, this book is a valuable tool for anyone. It teaches us how to look objectively and carefully at topics that we often have preconditioned ideas about. If anything, its an excercise in intellectualism. This book gives true meaning to the journey over the destination.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great writings,
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This review is from: Matters of Life and Death (Paperback)
This book is comprised of several essays on heavy subjects. Like war, suicide, death penalty, abortion....I had to buy it as a required reading for my college Ethics class and I had to read almost all of the essays.
Well, I fell in love with this book almost immediatelly, writings are great, a lot of good arguments for and against. I decided to keep this book after class was over and used it at least twice to help me write some more school essays.I could sound educated about issues because of this book gave me different points of view. Book deals with heavy issues that are hard to decide what is right or wrong, those issues that most people have some feelings about but are not sure what is right or wrong and put the thinking about them aside. Authors of the book make you cross that uncomfortable feeling you have when you are asked about what is your opinion about something complicated and you end up wanting to read farther. Great read, if you can find it cheap - get it even if nobody is making you buy it for class.
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