|
Ethical Argument: Critical Thinking in Ethics by Hugh Mercer Curtler Book review by William B. Lindley
Ethical relativism is a widely accepted point of view, especially in colleges and universities. This book, intended as a college textbook, seeks to show that an objective ethical stance is reasonable, that an ethical argument, with reasons and conclusions, can be made so that "anybody at any time should agree with those reasons and conclusions, regardless of personal or cultural predispositions." This alone makes the book worthwhile. But there's more. Starting with a dialogue between two students on the right and wrong of issues of the day, the author goes on to compare ethics with scientific inquiry, noting that science too has problems of subjectivity and personal attitudes, but seeks to minimize them. So with ethics. The author helps us develop critical thinking skills, recognize informal fallacies, and distinguish justification from rationalization and explanation. The core of the book is what the author calls traditional principlesÑI would call them axioms. These are: Human rights: "treat the person in oneself and others with respect"; justice: "treat all persons fairly"; and happiness: maximize human happiness consistent with rights and justice. The value of this book as a textbook, and in general as an approachable book, is enhanced by many examples from the real world: environment, business, law, medicine, and the political arena. Some are worked out, but many more are offered as exercises for the student. We are encouraged to distinguish among what is right, what is practical, and what we would in fact do. A couple of personal impressions: (1) The author tends to overlook matters of degree, which I consider very important in making ethical judgments. (2) The author sticks to Kant: don't treat persons as means to an end. This sometimes leads to awkward moral decisions in his examples. Last but not least, enjoy the Doonesbury cartoons in the book. They're a good fit to the points being made. Paragon House, ©1993, paperback, 150 pp., $12.95. Table of Contents | 1993 Issues | Subscribe Credit card Orders call: 800-321-9054 or fax: (619)676-0433 Truth Seeker is published by Truth Seeker Co., Inc. (ISSN 0041-3712) © 1996 |