A 21st Century Ethical Toolbox

Thoroughly optimistic, A 21st Century Ethical Toolbox, Third Edition, invites students to approach ethical issues with a reconstructive intent--to make room for more and better options than the rigid "pro" and "con" positions that have developed around tough problems like abortion and environmental ethics. Employing an accessible, consistently engaging writing style, Anthony Weston covers the skills that are vital to making real progress in ethics, including critical thinking, creative problem-solving, moral vision, genuine dialogue, and many more. Provocative selections from a wide range of philosophers, essayists, community activists, and students are interwoven with Weston's own discussions. The text is enhanced by extensive "Exercises and Notes" sections at the end of each chapter, new "Using Your Tools" sections after every two chapters, and a detailed guide for teachers as an appendix. Join instructors and students around the country who are using the experiential and applied activities inspired by this "toolbox" of skills to design interactive and collaborative ethics courses.

Table of Contents:
Each chapter ends with "For Review" and "Exercises and Notes" sections. Preface: PART I. EMBRACING ETHICS 1. Re-Introducing Ethics What Is Ethics? Ethics as a Learning Experience Readings:: Alice Walker, "Am I Blue?" Ted Kerasote, from Bloodties: Nature, Culture, and the Hunt 2. Ethics-Avoidance Disorders Flying by Instinct Offhand Self-Justification Dogmatism Relativism Using Your Tools #1: "Is Food the New Sex?" Readings:: Mary Eberstadt, "Is Food the New Sex?" Maggie Castor, "Food and Sex Reconsidered" 3. Ethics and Religion An Approach to Religious Ethics Let the Stories Be Stories Thinking for Yourself Reading: Jamal Rahman, "Making Peace with the Sword Verse" PART II. MORAL VALUES 4. Taking Values Seriously Varieties of Values Families of Moral Values Attending to Values Reading: Rayna Rapp, "XYLO" Using Your Tools #2: Values on the Edge Reading: Edward Abbey, "The Great American Desert" 5. The Ethics of the Person Valuing Persons Reading: Philip Hallie, "Le Chambon" Kant's Categorical Imperative Reading: Immanuel Kant, from Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals Rights, Equality, Justice Reading: from The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights 6. The Ethics of Happiness Happiness Reading: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, from Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience Utilitarianism Readings:: John Stuart Mill, from Utilitarianism Bertrand Russell, from "The Harm That Good Men Do" Can Utility Be the Single Measure of Value? Using Your Tools #3: A Utilitarian Approach to Poverty 7. The Ethics of Virtue An Abundance of Virtues A Greek View of Virtue Reading: Aristotle, from Nicomachean Ethics Chinese Views of Virtue Reading: Lao Tsu, from the Tao Te Ching Cultivating Virtue Reading: John Sullivan, from Living Large 8. The Ethics of Relationship Care Ethics Reading: Nel Noddings, from Caring Ethics and Community Reading: Kwasi Wiredu, from "The Moral Foundations of an African Culture" The Expanding Circle Reading: Aldo Leopold, from "The Land Ethic" Using Your Tools #4: Building a Student Code of Ethics PART III. SKILLS FOR ETHICAL PRACTICE 9. Critical Thinking Facts and Sources Inferences Definitions Quick Reference: Critical-Thinking Basics: 10. Judging Like Cases Alike Consistency Is a Challenge How to Restore Consistency Invented Cases Reading: Colin McGinn, "Speciesism" Quick Reference: Judging Like Cases Alike: Using Your Tools #5: Exploring the Welfare Question 11. Dialogue How to Have a Fruitless Debate How to Have a Useful Discussion Readings:: Mary Jacksteit and Adrienne Kaufmann, The Common Ground Network for Life and Choice, "Common Ground Rules" Spoma Jovanovic, "Deepening Ethical Dialogue" Quick Reference: Ethical Dialogue: 12. When Values Clash Right Versus Right Integrating Values Big Decisions Reading: Roger Gottlieb, "Can We Talk? Understanding the 'Other Side' in the Animal Rights Debates" Quick Reference: When Values Clash: Using Your Tools #6: "Can We Talk . . . About Marriage?" by Martin Fowler 13. Creative Problem Solving The Need for Inventiveness in Ethics Creative Explorations Creative Provocations Quick Reference: Creative Problem Solving in Ethics: 14. Reframing Problems Opening Up a Problem Reading: Fran Peavey, "Strategic Questioning" Three Methods Reframing the Abortion Debate Quick Reference: Ways to Reframe Problems: Using Your Tools #7: Reframing Bioethical Issues: Or, Where Ethics Meets Politics 15. Moral Vision Working from a Vision Environmental Visions Reading: Bill Thomas, from What Are Old People For? Quick Reference: Working from a Vision: PART IV. CHALLENGES 16. Response-ability Self-Possession Sexual Choices Readings:: Keith Clark, from Being Sexual . . . and Celibate Carol Queen, from Real Live Nude Girl Eating Using Your Tools #8: Personal Ethical Mission Statements by Nim Batchelor 17. Making a Difference The Power of One Reading: Ian Frazier, from On the Rez Becoming a Change-Maker Communities Making Change Joining a Change-Making Community 18. The Future of Ethics Three Doubts About Ethics Ethics Is Inescapable Turning Critical Reading: William McDonough, "Design for a New World" Using Your Tools #9: Ethical Change Projects Appendix 1: The Toolbox in the Classroom Appendix 2: Experiential Teaching in Ethics by Sharon Hartline Index:

About the Author :
Anthony Weston is Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies at Elon University. He is the author of twelve other books including A Practical Companion to Ethics, Fourth Edition (2010), Creativity for Critical Thinkers (2007), and Creative Problem-Solving in Ethics (2007), all published by Oxford University Press, and Mobilizing the Green Imagination (2012).

Review :
"A highly accessible introduction to basic moral philosophy, particularly applied ethics. Weston effectively shows students how to develop and sustain critical and constructive thinking in ethics in the face of many temptations to follow instinct, plead relativism, or get dogmatic instead. I LOVE the pedagogical tools and extensive resources listed throughout the text and in 'The Toolbox in the Classroom' section at the end."--Karla Pierce, Florida State College at Jacksonville "What is especially strong about the text is the pedagogy, its tone--which is quite suitable for students new to studying ethics--and its organization. Significant portions are dedicated to establishing how ethics is thought out and how one may integrate one's ethical thinking into one's life."--Kathryn Valdivia, University of San Diego and Cuyamaca College "I find the book's most attractive features to be its short, readable sections, its optimistic tone, and its attempt to present many sides of a moral issue in a sympathetic light. The pedagogical devices are excellent, and I relied on them extensively in my teaching of the material."--Russell DiSilvestro, California State University, Sacramento