Applied Ethics: A Multicultural Approach (3rd Edition) - Softcover

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9780130923844: Applied Ethics: A Multicultural Approach (3rd Edition)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0130923842 ISBN 13: 9780130923844

Publisher: Pearson College Div, 2002

This book addresses various topics in applied ethics from Western and non-Western perspectives. Topics covered include cultural relativism and female genital mutilation, American Indian perceptions of the environment from indigenous perspective, hunger and poverty, same-sex marriage, professional responsibility and the abortion pill, RU-486, the risks of legalizing euthanasia and a feminist defense of euthanasia, and more. For anyone interested in Introduction to Ethics and Applied Ethics.

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From the Back Cover:

Unlike any other anthologies in applied ethics, this anthology integrates multicultural perspectives throughout each section as it considers contemporary ethical problems and dilemmas. All of the standard topics for an introductory ethics course are present, but this new edition is the only anthology to devote an entire section to the ethics of radically new technologies. Classic readings, as well as compelling contemporary essays, are brought together to provide instructors and students with the best introduction to applied ethics on the market.

Features:

Integrated moral perspectives, drawn from diverse global traditions, for each ethical topic
Introductory chapter on the nature of morality, including capsule summaries of major Western and non-Western ethical perspectives
Classic and contemporary readings on all ethical topics, representing differences of gender, ethnicity and race
Extended introductions to sections and essays to aid in student comprehension

New to this edition:

Entirely new section on technology and ethics, with essays on genetics, artificial intelligence, and mind-altering drugs
Completely revised section on race, including new essays representing diverse ethnic American voices
New essay which clarifies common misperceptions about the ethical position of "cultural relativism"
New essays on reproductive rights issues, environmental issues, and the problems of hunger and poverty

This book has filled an existing gap in the literature used in applied ethics courses. The major anthologies in applied ethics contain essays written almost exclusively by American social and moral philosophers. These anthologies leave the student with the impression that there are no viewpoints other than those expressed by Americans, and that ethical and social philosophy has little to do with perspectives of other nations and cultures. More and more courses that include the perspectives of diverse cultures are being added to the curriculum. There is no applied ethics volume comparable to ours—indeed philosophy has been very slow to respond to the call for multiculturalism in our curricula.

Our volume addresses various topics in applied ethics from Western and non-western perspectives. As a result, the typical instructor will have an easier time approaching the material than if the material were segregated, or if the issues were not already well known in the West. Nonetheless, since our book devotes significant attention to the moral perspectives of many different cultures and ethnicities, students will come away from our text having a deeper appreciation for other cultures. We believe that the increasing emphasis on multiculturalism and internationalism across disciplines has set the stage for a very positive reception for a book like ours.

Let us briefly address some of the terminology in the book. We have chosen to use the term "American Indian" rather than "Native American" because of the increasing use of the former instead of the latter in such titles as "American Indian Studies" and because many American Indian people believe that the term "Native American" does not adequately capture their identity since many non-Indians may also claim to be Native Americans. We have used the term "African American" when referring to Blacks living in America and have retained the term "Blacks" when the designated group was not restricted to Americans.

Many people provided us with valuable suggestions and assistance throughout the years that we worked on this project. We would like to thank Margaret Battin, Karen Warren, Iris Young, Mary Mahowald, Marilyn Friedman, Denward Wilson, and Gloria Cuadraz for valuable suggestions about the book's format and selections. We are especially grateful to Dana Klar from Washington University's Center for American Indian Studies for help with some of the multicultural material. In addition, Kenneth Sharratt, Marilyn Broughton, and Debi Katz have helped in the more technical phases of the book's production. The following reviewers provided helpful suggestions and useful insights for the third edition: Susan Lee Morris, Ferris State University and Jeremiah Hackett, University of South Carolina. Joel Anderson, Kate Parsons, Jennifer Stiff, Dennis Cooley, William Tolhurst and many others who used the first edition gave valuable help on the second edition, as did our students. And finally we would like to thank Ross Miller and the rest of the Prentice Hall staff for their invaluable help and support.

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