Natural Law Ethics - (Contributions in Philosophy) by Philip E Devine (Hardcover)

About the Book

The natural law tradition, which takes as central to moral discussion an appeal to our common humanity, provides a sustainable and attractive approach to problems of ethics and morals. This volume presents a contemporary version of natural law ethics, one that does not rely for support on the authority of Aristotle or St. Thomas Aquinas, however much it is indebted to them and their followers for inspiration and arguments. The author discusses the mutual relations of four key moral concepts--the good, virtue, duty, and rights--as well as their application to various issues, including environmental concerns, homosexuality, and suicide. While examining the role of morality in a way of life and the relation between morality and religion, he defends the natural law tradition against a range of philosophical and theological opponents.

Book Synopsis

The natural law tradition, which takes as central to moral discussion an appeal to our common humanity, provides a sustainable and attractive approach to problems of ethics and morals. This volume presents a contemporary version of natural law ethics, one that does not rely for support on the authority of Aristotle or St. Thomas Aquinas, however much it is indebted to them and their followers for inspiration and arguments. The author discusses the mutual relations of four key moral concepts--the good, virtue, duty, and rights--as well as their application to various issues, including environmental concerns, homosexuality, and suicide. While examining the role of morality in a way of life and the relation between morality and religion, he defends the natural law tradition against a range of philosophical and theological opponents.

Review Quotes

.,."faculty scholars and graduate students will find it a stimulating and challenging approach to a familiar subject matter."-Choice Reviews

?...faculty scholars and graduate students will find it a stimulating and challenging approach to a familiar subject matter.?-Choice Reviews

?Natural Law Ethics is beautifully written and will prove popular to a wide range of readers because it avoids the excesses, such as being too cerebral, often associated with books and articles on the topic.?-Teaching Business Ethics

..."faculty scholars and graduate students will find it a stimulating and challenging approach to a familiar subject matter."-Choice Reviews

"Natural Law Ethics is beautifully written and will prove popular to a wide range of readers because it avoids the excesses, such as being too cerebral, often associated with books and articles on the topic."-Teaching Business Ethics

About the Author

PHILIP E. DEVINE is Professor of Philosophy at Providence College, where he frequently teaches in the Program on the Development of Western Civilization./e He is the author of The Ethics of Homicide (1978), Relativism, Nihilism and God (1989), and Human Diversity and the Culture Wars (Praeger, 1996).