Understanding Ethics: An Introduction to Moral Theory

How can we find true or reasonable moral principles to apply to our everyday lives? Torbjörn Tännsjö presents seven radically different moral theories, each of which provides an answer to what we ought to do and why. Tännsjö carefully describes and assesses each theory and puts them into historical perspective. He addresses utilitarianism, egoism, deontological ethics, the ethics of rights, virtue ethics, feminist ethics, and environmental or ecological ethics. This second edition contains revised and clarified arguments, famous "trolley" cases to illustrate basic theories, and a new final chapter that addresses the influence of neuroscience and psychology on the formation of our moral intuitions.