Ethics in a Nutshell: The Philosopher's Approach to Morality in 100 Pages

Philosophical ethics can be confusing, boring, and stuffier than it needs to be. Let’s fix that. Here are some of the Ethics Intro-style questions Ethics in a Nutshell answers quickly in plain English.

Can philosophical ethics and religion peacefully coexist? Of course! Surely a creator would want us to use these big brains to think through all sorts of questions, including questions about what we morally ought to do. However, I present ethics as a supplement, not a replacement for whatever approach you currently take to moral questions – feel free to incorporate only what makes sense.

Doesn’t the law tell us what our ethics should be? Please no. Consider laws legitimizing the sale of human beings or forbidding women from voting. Even when you could legally buy people, this didn’t make the practice moral. Even when women were legally banned from voting, this didn’t make the practice immoral. Good law tracks morality, but doesn't determine or guarantee it.

Will you pretty please with sugar on top simplify the four dominant ethical theories? Yes! Utilitarianism mandates that we maximize net pleasure (for everyone impacted by a decision, not just ourselves – sorry, it’s not selfish hedonism). Kantianism: only do stuff you could rationally endorse everyone else doing, and treat persons with respect, never as mere tools. Care Ethics: prioritize the interests of loved ones. Virtue Ethics: practice the virtues such as bravery and patience, and avoid the vices such as gluttony and laziness.

How do moral arguments by analogy work? By comparing two relevantly similar cases and applying similar moral logic to both. Like this: “Hey, case A is about personal freedom, and so is case B. So let’s treat case B the same way we treat case A. Ta-da!”

There’s much more, but that’s enough for now. Don’t miss the free lecture videos on every chapter at YouTube.com/MattDeatonPhD, the teaching resources at EthicsinaNutshell.org including sample essay and exam questions and editable syllabi for high school and college classes, or my real passion, EthicsBowl.org (I'm a huge Ethics Bowl fan!).