Ethics: A Very Short Introduction (2nd Edition)

Written by Simon Blackburn

Narrated by Michael Butler Murray

Our self-image as moral, well-behaved creatures is dogged by skepticism, relativism, hypocrisy, and nihilism, and by the fear that in a Godless world science has unmasked us as creatures fated by our genes to be selfish and tribalistic, or competitive and aggressive. Here, Simon Blackburn tackles the major moral questions surrounding birth, death, happiness, desire, and freedom, showing us how we should think about the meaning of life, and why we should mistrust the soundbite-sized absolutes that often dominate moral debates.

This second edition of the Very Short Introduction on Ethics has revised and updated aspects of the original to reflect changing times and mores. It highlights the importance of an understanding of approaches to ethics and its foundations, confronted as we are with a fluid and uncertain world of eroding trust, swirling conspiracy theories, and a dismaying loss of respect in public discourse.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Apr 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781666120301

Simon Blackburn

Simon Blackburn was the Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge and remains a Fellow of Trinity College. He is known for his appearances in the British media such as BBC Radio 4's The Moral Maze and his many publications which span popular and academic moral philosophy. His books include Spreading the Word (1984), The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (1994), Ruling Passions: A Theory of Practical Reasoning (1998), Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (2001), Being Good: A Short Introduction to Ethics (2002), Lust: The Seven Deadly Sins (2003), and Mirror, Mirror: The Uses and Abuses of Self-Love (2014).

Reviews for Ethics

[Anders Jørgensen · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The self satisfied style is tiring. Political philosophy and ethics are being dealt with like they are one, no explanation

[Jason Brown · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The content was excellent - the delivery was hit and miss. The American voice actor treated every point and line as if it was ‘amazing’ it made it difficult to follow to understand if everything he was saying was a key point or if everything was a big pre-ample.