Introduction to Ethical Studies

Written by: Lee Archie and John G. Archie

Many of the well-known writings on ethics are already in the public domain. The authors of this ethics textbook opted to therefore make their text open-source.

The authors mentioned in the preface that they took the ideas of earlier scholars out of their literary and historical context. Their goal is to spark interest in thinking about our well being and significance.

One particularly useful feature of this offering is the text study questions. The authors list a number of questions for each section of the text and offers written answers for students. Not quite a Cliff’s Notes on ethics but certainly a great study tool.

Lee Archie is a professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Lander University. John G. Archie also appears to be affiliated with Lander University but I have not been able to find out more information on him.

This ethics textbook references a number of historical works. I’ve included links to where you can read some of them freely online. Others may be available as well, I just didn’t find them with a few quick searches.

Table of Contents for Introduction to Ethical Studies

Part I. The Nature of Ethical Inquiry
  • 1. “Conscience Determines What’s Right” by Hubbard Winslow
    • Ideas of Interest from Moral Philosophy
    • The Reading Selection from Moral Philosophy
      • Conscience
      • Conscience Has Three Functions
      • First Function of Conscience
      • Second Function of Conscience
      • Third Function of Conscience
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 2. “Conscience Is Learned” by Alexander Bain
    • Ideas of Interest from Moral Science
    • The Reading Selection from Moral Science
      • [Nature of Conscience]
      • [Conscience Formed by Association]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 3. “It Doesn’t Pay to Be Religious” by G. W. Foote
    • Ideas of Interest from Infidel Death-Beds
    • The Reading Selection from Infidel Death-Beds
      • [Religious Use of Dying Repentance]
      • [Psychological Aspect of Dying]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 4. “Ethics Are Culturally Relative” by Charles A. Ellwood
    • Ideas of Interest from “The Study of Society”
    • The Reading Selection from “The Study of Society”
      • The Study of Society
      • The Bearing of the Theory of Evolution
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 5. “Ethics Are Relative” by Edward Westermarck
    • Ideas of Interest from Ethical Relativity
    • The Reading Selection from Ethical Relativity
      • [Ethics Is Not Normative]
      • [Moral Principles Are Not Self-Evident]
      • [Whether God Is the Source of Right]
      • [Moral Subjectivism Is Not Arbitrary]
      • [Moral Judgments Are Not Objective]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 6. “The Objectivity of Moral Judgements” by G. E. Moore
    • Ideas of Interest from Ethics
    • The Reading Selection from Ethics
      • [Emotivism: Is Ethics Based on Feelings?]
      • [Is Ethics Based on What Society Thinks?]
      • [Is Ethics Sociologically Based?]
      • [Relativism: Is Ethics Based on What People Think?]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
Part II. Free Will and Determinism
  • 7. Some Varieties of Determinism
    • Philosophical Ethics
    • Varieties of Determinism
  • 8. “Positive Philosophy” by August Comte
    • Ideas of Interest from Cours de Philosophie Positive (English translation on Google Books)
    • The Reading Selection from Cours de Philosophie Positive
      • [Fundamental Law of Development]
      • [The Theological State]
      • [The Metaphysical State]
      • [The Positive State]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 9. “Science of Natural Processes” by Frederick Engels
    • Ideas of Interest from Ludwig Feuerbach
    • The Reading Selection from Ludwig Feuerbach
      • [Unification of Science of Natural Processes]
      • [Transformation of Energy and Motion]
      • [Life Explained by Scientific Law]
      • [Origins of the Varieties of Organisms]
      • [Origin of Life]
      • [Scientific Materialism]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 10. “A Science of Human Nature” by John Stuart Mill
    • Ideas of Interest from A System of Logic
    • The Reading Selection from A System of Logic
      • [Human Nature as a Subject of Science]
      • [The Theory of the Tides]
      • [Aspects of a Science of Human Nature]
      • [The Science of Human Nature]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 11. “Statistics as Applied to Human Action” by John Venn
    • Ideas of Interest from The Logic of Chance
    • The Reading Selection from The Logic of Chance
      • [The Application of Logic to Human Conduct]
      • [Critique of Mill’s Science of Human Nature]
      • [Exact Prediction Is Compatible with Free Will]
      • [An Independent Observer Can Be Practically Impossible]
      • [General Laws Are Not Deterministic]
      • [The Fatalistic Fallacy]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 12. “Human Beings are Determined” by Baruch Spinoza
    • Ideas of Interest from The Ethics (English translation)
    • The Reading Selection from The Ethics
      • [The Unknown Causes of Human Action]
      • [Meaninglessness of the Mind’s Control of Body]
      • [Similar States of Mind and Body]
      • [Infinite Complexity of Nature]
      • [The Illusory Nature of Free Decisions]
      • [Decision Defined]
      • [Nature of Human Action]
      • [The Idea of Free Will]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 13. “The Will to Believe” by William James
    • Ideas of Interest from The Will to Believe
    • The Reading Selection from The Will to Believe
    • Introduction to Ethical Studies: An Open-Source Reader
      • [Hypotheses and Options]
      • [James’s Thesis]
      • [Options in Science]
      • [Discovery in Science]
      • [Moral Beliefs]
      • [Social Relations]
      • [Religious Questions]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
Part III. Religious and Duty Ethics
  • 14. “The Wager” by Blaise Pascal
    • Ideas of Interest from the Pensées
    • The Reading Selection from Pensées
    • Related Ideas
  • 15. “The Soul of the Indian” by Ohiyesa
    • Ideas of Interest from The Soul of an Indian
    • The Reading Selection from The Soul of an Indian
      • Silence the Corner-Stone of Character
      • Basic Ideas of Morality
      • “Give All or Nothing!”
      • Rules for an Honorable Warfare
      • An Indian Conception of Courage
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 16. “Act in Accordance with Universal Law” by Immanuel Kant
    • Important Ideas from Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals
    • Reading Selection from the Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals
      • [The Good Will]
      • [Actions for the Sake of Duty]
      • [Duty as Respect for Law]
      • [Categorical Imperative]
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 17. “Truth is Faith” by Søren Kierkegaard
    • Ideas of Interest from Fear and Trembling
    • The Reading Selection from Fear and Trembling
      • Introduction
      • A Panegyric on Abraham
      • Preliminary Expectoration
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
Part IV. Search for Happiness
  • 18. “The Socratic Paradox” by Plato
    • Ideas of Interest from Protagoras
    • Reading from The Protagoras
      • [Do All Virtues Imply Knowledge?]
      • [Pleasure and Good]
      • [Knowledge and Pleasure]
      • [Ethical Error as Ignorance]
      • [Can Virtue Be Taught?]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 19. “Pleasure is the Good” by Epicurus
    • Ideas of Interest from “The Life of Epicurus”
    • The Reading Selection from “The Life of Epicurus”
      • Epicurus to Menœceus, Greeting
      • [Fundamental Maxims]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 20. We Should Value What’s In Our Control by Epictetus
    • Ideas of Interest from The Enchiridion
    • The Reading Selection from The Enchiridion
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 21. “Egoism Is Mistaken” by David Hume
    • Ideas of Interest from “Of Self-Love”
    • The Reading Selection from “Of Self-Love”
      • [The Self-Interest Hypothesis]
      • [Cases of Benevolence]
      • [Presupposition of Simplicity]
      • [Pleasure Not Directly Sought]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 22. “What is the Life of Excellence?” by Aristotle
    • Ideas of Interest from the Nichomachean Ethics
    • The Reading Selection from the Nichomachean Ethics
      • Book I [The Good for Man]
        • 1 [All Activity Aims at Some Good]
        • 2 [The Good for Man]
        • 5 [Popular Notions of Happiness]
        • 7 [Definition of Happiness]
        • 13 [Kinds of Virtue]
      • Book II [Moral Virtue]
        • 1 [How Moral Virtue is Acquired]
        • 5 [Moral Virtue Is Character]
        • 6 [Disposition to Choose the Mean]
        • 7 [The Mean Illustrated]
      • Book X [Pleasure; Happiness]
        • 6 [Happiness Is Not Amusement]
        • 7 [Happiness Is the Contemplative Life]
        • 8 [The Contemplative Life]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
Part V. Ethics and Society
  • 23. “The Ring of Gyges” by Plato
    • Ideas of Interest from The Republic
    • The Reading Selection from The Republic
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 24. “Human Beings Are Selfish” by Bernard Mandeville
    • Ideas of Interest from The Fable of the Bees
    • The Reading Selection from The Fable of the Bees
      • Introduction to the Remarks
      • An Inquiry into the Origin of Moral Virtue
        • [State of Nature]
        • [Uses of Praise and Flattery]
        • [Classes of People]
        • [Origins of Morality]
        • [Public Benefits]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 25. “Happiness Is the Greatest Good” by Jeremy Bentham
    • Ideas from Principles of Morals and Legislation
    • The Reading Selection from Principles of Morals and Legislation
      • Of the Principle of Utility
      • Of Principles Adverse to that of Utility
      • Value. . . How to be Measured
      • Of Motives
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 26. “Slave and Master Morality” by Friedrich Nietzsche
    • Ideas of Interest from Beyond Good and Evil
    • The Reading Selection from Beyond Good and Evil
      • [Origin of Aristocracy]
      • [Higher Class of Being]
      • [Life Denial]
      • [Master Morality]
      • [Slave Morality]
      • [Creation of Values]
    • Related Ideas
    • Topics Worth Investigating
  • 27. “What Makes a Life Significant?” by William James
    • The Reading from “What Makes Life a Significant?”
      • [Life’s Values and Meanings]
      • [Courage of the Everyday Person]
      • [Ideas of Individuals]
      • [Ideals]
      • [Culture, Courage, Ideals, and Joyful Sympathy]
      • [One Last Example]
    • Related Ideas

A. Useful Philosophy Research Links

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Philosophy Gateways

   

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Introduction to Ethical Studies

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