Christopher Panza & Adam Potthast 
Ethics For Dummies 

An easy-to-grasp guide to addressing the principles of ethics
and applying them to daily life

How do you define ‘good’ versus ‘evil?’ Do you know the
difference between moral ‘truth’ and moral relativity? Whether or
not you know Aristotle from Hume, Ethics For Dummies will
get you comfortable with the centuries-old study of ethical
philosophy quickly and effectively!

Ethics For Dummies is a practical, friendly guide that
takes the headache out of the often-confusing subject of ethics. In
plain English, it examines the controversial facets of ethical
thought, explores the problem of evil, demystifies the writings and
theories of such great thinkers through the ages as Aristotle,
Confucius, Descartes, Kant, Nietzsche, and so much more.

* Provides the tools to tackle and understand today’s important
questions and ethical dilemmas

* Shows you how to apply the concepts and theories of ethical
philosophy to your everyday life

* Other title by Panza: Existentialism For Dummies

Whether you’re currently enrolled in an ethics course or are
interested in living a good life but are vexed with ethical
complexities, Ethics For Dummies has you covered!

Table of Content

Introduction 1

Part I: Ethics 101: Just the Basics, Please 7

Chapter 1: Approaching Ethics: What Is It and Why Should You Care? 9

Chapter 2: Butting Heads: Is Ethics Just a Matter of Opinion? 19

Part II: Uncovering the Roots of Ethics 35

Chapter 3: Human Nature and Ethics: Two Big Questions 37

Chapter 4: Exploring Connections between Ethics, Religion, and Science 55

Chapter 5: Seeing Ethics as Harmful: Three Famous Criticisms 73

Part III: Surveying Key Ethical Theories 93

Chapter 6: Being an Excellent Person: Virtue Ethics 95

Chapter 7: Increasing the Good: Utilitarian Ethics 121

Chapter 8: Doing Your Duty: The Ethics of Principle 143

Chapter 9: Signing on the Dotted Line: Ethics as Contract 171

Chapter 10: The Golden Rule: Common Sense Ethics 187

Chapter 11: Turning Down the Testosterone: Feminist Care Ethics 207

Part IV: Applying Ethics to Real Life 227

Chapter 12: Dealing with Mad Scientists: Biomedical Ethics 229

Chapter 13: Protecting the Habitat: Environmental Ethics 247

Chapter 14: Serving the Public: Professional Ethics 269

Chapter 15: Keeping the Peace: Ethics and Human Rights 281

Chapter 16: Getting It On: The Ethics of Sex 299

Chapter 17: Looking Out for the Little Guy: Ethics and Animals 313

Part V: The Part of Tens 329

Chapter 18: Ten Famous Ethicists and Their Theories 331

Chapter 19: Ten Ethical Dilemmas Likely to Arise in the Future 337

Index 343

About the author

Christopher Panza, Ph D, is an associate professor of
philosophy at Drury University and coauthor of Existentialism
For Dummies.

Adam Potthast, Ph D, is an assistant professor of
philosophy at Missouri University of Science and Technology.