Beyond Bumper Sticker Ethics: An Introduction to Theories of Right and Wrong, 2nd Edition
Overview
Ideas have consequences. And sometimes those ideas can be squeezed into slogans, slapped on bumper stickers and tweeted into cyberspace. These compact messages coming at us from all directions often compress in a few words entire ethical systems. It turns out that there's a lot more to the ideas behind these slogans--ideas that need to be sorted out before we make important moral decisions as individuals or as societies.
In this revised and expanded edition of Steve Wilkens's widely-used text, the author has updated his introductions to basic ethical systems:
- cultural relativism
- ethical egoism
- utilitarianism
- behaviorism
- situation ethics
- Kantian ethics
- virtue ethics
- natural law ethics
- divine command theory
He has also added two new chapters:
- evolutionary ethics
- narrative ethics
With clarity and wit Wilkens unpacks the complicated ideas behind the slogans and offers Christian evaluations of each.
- Holds ethical theory to be an inescapable part of our world
- Assumes that some fundamental features of a Christian worldview are valid for evaluating moral bases
- Employs the usual means of critiquing ethical theory: logical consistency, possibility of universalization, consequences, etc.
- Bumper Stickers and Ethical Systems
- When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do: Cultural Relativism
- Look Out for Number One: Ethical Egoism
- I Couldn't Help Myself: Behaviorism
- Survival of the (Ethical) Fittest: Evolutionary Ethics
- The Greatest Happiness: Utilitarianism
- It's Your Duty: Kantian Ethics
- Be Good: Virtue Ethics
- The Moral of the Story Is . . . : Narrative Ethics
- All You Need Is Love: Situation Ethics
- Doing What Comes Naturally: Natural Law Ethics
- God Said It, I Believe It, That Settles It: Divine Command Theory
- Unraveling the Options
Top Highlights
“Cultural relativism says that it is not each person but each person’s culture that is the standard by which actions are to be measured.” (Page 29)
“’ Altruism is the idea that we have obligations to other people and should act for the benefit of society.” (Page 43)
“As a discipline, ethics tackles two general kinds of tasks. The most obvious task is to examine ethical problems like euthanasia, abortion, capital punishment and homosexuality. This usually goes under the label of applied ethics.” (Page 16)
“Let us, therefore, enhance the dictionary definition given previously by distinguishing ethical egoism from both psychological egoism and egotism: We should choose to be concerned with our own broad-based and lifelong interests.” (Page 44)
“If Christianity is not intended to be limited to a particular culture, we must take care to distinguish between the gospel, that which is transcultural, and our particular expression of the gospel.” (Page 35)
- Title: Beyond Bumper Sticker Ethics: An Introduction to Theories of Right and Wrong
- Author: Steve Wilkens
- Edition: Second Edition
- Publisher: IVP
- Print Publication Date: 2011
- Logos Release Date: 2018
- Pages: 230
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
- Subjects: Ethics; Christian ethics; Philosophy › Ethics & Moral philosophy
- ISBNs: 9780830869077, 9780830839360, 0830869077, 0830839364
- Resource ID: LLS:9780830869077
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-06T20:51:34Z