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Do we really need to be divided from those whose opinions are different from our own? And are there ways that we can overcome these differences and divisions?
Exploring a variety of moral issues through engaging, real-life examples—including promise keeping, lying, adultery, favoring our friends and loved ones, harming innocent people for the good of the majority, the obligation to give to charity, and other ethical quandaries, Thinking Ethically: A Handbook for Making Moral Choices doesn’t tell you what to think or do! Using common—as well as hot-button—issues, it explores different points of view to illustrate how people make moral judgments and decisions.
While conclusions may differ, this thought-provoking guide shows that people share the same moral foundations of honesty, kindness, promise-keeping, and a commitment to not harming others—and recognizes that our shared values can help heal other divisions! By explaining how we can all use our natural ability to think, debate, and evolve, this enlightening book offers numerous valuable insights, including …
Ultimately, this book is an invitation to self-reflection: What kind of person do you want to be? What is morally right and wrong? How do your moral values shape your decisions? Morality can sometimes be complicated and complex, but it’s not like physics. Anyone can do it, and this informative, accessible, and easy-to-understand book can help! By fostering empathy, compassion, and curiosity, Thinking Ethically is your guide to moral decisions, dilemmas, and debates—and overcoming divisions.
“How does one live a moral, kind, giving life in today’s world? This book offers discussions, ideas, advice, and lots of sidebars to dig into and to ponder.” —Bookworm Sez
“This book explores a variety of moral issues through real-life examples, including promise keeping, lying, adultery, favoring friends and loved ones, harming innocent people for the good of the majority, and the obligation to give to charity. Using common issues, it explores different points of view to illustrate how people make moral judgments and decisions.” —The Oklahoman
“This book is timely and explores ethical questions … What’s new about Gelfand’s book is the claim that persons with quite different moral, political, and policy positions actually have a shared commitment to a variety of fundamental premises regarding what’s ethical. Realizing this will be of real value to a great many readers.” —Daniel Sullivan, Ph.D., President Emeritus of St. Lawrence University
“There are any number of reasons to love this book, but perhaps the most immediate one is that, at a moment of deep public disillusionment, “Thinking Ethically” shows us a path to hope. In clear and accessible prose, Scott Gelfand makes a reasoned, common-sense case for believing that we are not as different from one another as we might think, and he also gives us a morally complex but practicable method for connecting both to our best selves, and to others.” —Mark Brewin, Ph.D. Dr. Brewin Associate Professor Communications University of Tulsa
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
1. Is It Always Wrong to Break a Promise? How Do We Make Moral Decisions?
2. Is It Wrong to Kill One Innocent Person to Save 1,000,000?
3. Are There Moral Truths? Rubin’s Vase?
4. What’s Wrong With Adultery?
5. Are Some Actions Always Wrong?
6. Do Intentions Matter?
7. What Should I Do If I Hear a Racist, Sexist, or Hateful Comment?
8. Is It Morally Permissible to Favor Our Family And Friends?
9. Do We Have an Obligation to Give To Charity?
10. Can We Still be Friends?
11. Should We Hire the Most Qualified Person?
12. Has Wokeness/political Correctness Gone Too Far?
13. Is Abortion Morally Wrong?
14. What Sort of Person Do You Want to Be?
Bibliography
Glossary
Index