Practical Companion to Ethics 2ed

A Practical Companion to Ethics, 2/e, is a concise and accessible introduction to the basic attitudes and skills that make ethics work, like thinking for oneself, creative and integrative problem-solving, and keeping an open mind. This unique volume illuminates the broad kinds of practical intelligence required in moral judgment, complementing the narrower theoretical considerations that often dominate ethics courses. It offers practical instruction in problem-solving by demonstrating how to frame an ethical problem and deal effectively with ethical disagreements. This book also addresses issues of the heart-the call to responsiveness and care that underlies formal ethical theories. The appendix offers an extended and specific guide to writing papers in ethics. In response to instructor and student feedback on the first edition, this second edition includes exercises at the end of each chapter; incorporates brief text boxes that define key terms and review core strategies; adds short dialogues for illustration or practice; and offers an expanded discussion of the polarization of values in Chapter Four. The optimistic tone and brisk pace of the narrative provide an entertaining and intelligent guide to "everyday" morality. Ideal for introductory courses in ethics and applied ethics, A Practical Companion to Ethics, 2/e, can also be used in any course related to critical thinking.EACH CHAPTER ENDS WITH FOR PRACTICE AND THINKING AND NOTES SECTIONS; Preface; Introduction; 1. GETTING STARTED; Who Needs Ethics?; The Dogmatist and the Rationalizer; Ethics and Diversity; 2. THINKING FOR YOURSELF; Appeals to Authority; A Biblical Ideal; The Question of Rules; 3. CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING IN ETHICS; The Need for Inventiveness in Ethics; How to Expand Your Options; How to Reframe Problems; 4. DON'T POLARIZE--CONNECT; "Right versus Right"; Pieces of the Puzzle; Going Ahead Together; 5. ETHICS WITH A HEART; When the Heart Closes; How the Heart Opens; The Expanding Circle; APPENDIX A: HOW TO WRITE AN ETHICS PAPER; APPENDIX B: A WORD TO TEACHERS