An innovative introduction to ethics through philosophy and fiction
Ethics: An Introduction with Primary Texts and Short Fictive Narratives offers a distinctive and pedagogically effective approach to ethical inquiry. Fostering a deep understanding of theory and its practical implications, the book begins with an accessible introduction to metaethics, addressing the foundational concepts that ground moral reasoning. It then moves through carefully abridged and newly translated selections from three pillars of Western ethical theory—Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, Kant's Groundwork, and Mill's Utilitarianism. These translations have been curated to highlight the central arguments and transitions within each thinker's system, allowing readers to engage directly and critically with major ethical frameworks.
What sets this volume apart is its innovative integration of the short fictional narratives and poetry of Michael Boylan, richly illustrating the dimensions of moral philosophy. These narratives serve as applied ethics case studies, encouraging readers to bridge theoretical knowledge with real-life decision-making. Structured exercises, study questions, and feedback sections support active learning, while the philosophical treatment of fictive narrative invites reflection on the nature and power of storytelling in ethical discourse.
Authored by a leading scholar with expertise in both ethical theory and creative writing. Ethics: An Introduction with Primary Texts and Short Narratives:
- Enables direct engagement with core arguments of Virtue Ethics, Deontology, and Utilitarianism
- Applies the concept of “fictive narrative philosophy” to stimulate reflective and critical ethical reasoning
- Provides a unified conceptual approach through the Personal and Shared Community Worldview Imperatives
- Employs a structured, progressive framework that integrates metaethics, normative theory, and applied ethics
- Supports interdisciplinary learning with content relevant to philosophy, literature, political science, and law
Ethics: An Introduction with Primary Texts and Short Narratives is ideal for introductory and intermediate undergraduate courses such as Introduction to Ethics, Ethical Theory, and Applied Ethics in degree programs across the humanities, social sciences, business, pre-professional studies, and other fields where ethical literacy is an essential skill.
Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction
Part One: First Order Meta-Ethical Principles and Normative Ethical Theories
Chapter One: Boylan’s First Order Meta-Ethical Principles
Chapter Two: Virtue Ethics (Selections from Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics)
Chapter Three: Deontological Ethics (Selections from Kant’s Groundwork)
Chapter Four: Utilitarianism (Selections from Mill’s Utilitarianism)
Chapter Five: Structured Feed-back, Part One: First Order Meta-Ethical Principles and Normative Ethical Theories
Part Two: Short Narrative Fiction
The Theory
Chapter Six: The Logic and Domain of Fictive Narrative Philosophy
The Stories
Chapter Seven: “Starting Over and Under”
Chapter Eight: “The Natural Order”
Chapter Nine: “Ruby’s Choice”
Chapter Ten: “Icing Dreamers”
Chapter Eleven: “Murder in Londonderry”
Chapter Twelve: “Executing the Will”
Chapter Thirteen: “Heading off to College”
Chapter Fourteen: “All’s Fair in Love and War”
Chapter Fifteen: Structured Feed-back, Part Two & Final Paper Project
Appendix One: Theory: Using Poetry as Compressed Fictive Narratives Appendix Two: Examples of Poetry Making Claims Concerning Ethical and Social/Political Issues
Index of People and Ideas
About the Author :
MICHAEL BOYLAN is Professor of Philosophy at Marymount University. He is the author of 45 books and over 150 academic articles. His work spans both analytic and literary disciplines, with emphasis on ethics, human rights, and narrative philosophy. His fiction and poetry have been published internationally, and his philosophical ideas have been presented at leading universities worldwide.
