Is it ever allowed to tell a lie, steal something, intentionally hurt or even kill someone? if not, why not? what is correct and what makes correct? what do we mean by ‘good’? what do we mean by ‘evil’? What do we owe each other as humans? what do we owe to non-human life? what is the justification for any moral belief and where does morality come from? Are ethical systems dependent on culture, or are there some rules that transcend culture, or even transcend species?
All of these questions and more form the basis of ethics and morality, a central branch of philosophical study throughout the history of recorded human thought.
You are reading: Best books on ethics
Most of us feel like we have some kind of internal moral compass, or at least a sense of what is right and wrong; but acknowledging that we are morally sensitive tends to be where the consensus in ethics ends and the controversy begins. in fact, arguing about good and evil and judging people morally is a favorite pastime not only of philosophers but of most human beings.
This reading list is designed to give you a comprehensive look at how different thinkers in philosophy have thought about good, evil, and everything in between.
From introductory texts and anthologies, to important primary works by the great philosophers themselves – after consuming this list, you will have much greater clarity about core moral arguments and ethical systems, and will be able to make measured and informed contributions to even the most heated by contemporary debates. let’s dive!
1. ethics: the basics, by julia driver
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Published in 2006, Julia’s Driver’s Ethics: The Basics is a great starting point for anyone curious about ethics and morality. In a highly readable and thoughtful style, Driver presents a number of key ethical systems, including virtue ethics, Kantian ethics, divine command theory, and feminist ethics. Packed with real life examples and with 192 accessible pages, this is a brilliant introduction to the major movements within ethics and morality.
2. being good: a brief introduction to ethics, by simon blackburn
Simon Blackburn, author of the best-selling General Introduction to Philosophy, Think (which is on our Introduction to Philosophy reading list), writes with admirable lucidity in his 2003 Being Good: A Brief Introduction to Ethics. Blackburn focuses his 172-page introduction largely on problems within ethics, from our status as moral beings to the foundations of moral judgments. this is a good manual for anyone interested in the complex issues inherent in the study of morality.
3. Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues, by Steven Cahn & pedro markie
If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for all things ethics and morality, look no further than Steven Cahn and Peter Markie’s 1998 Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues. Spanning 2,500 years of ethical theory, this epic 976-page collection features excerpts from the greatest moral thinkers, past and present. Cahn and Markie’s helpful background notes, concise introductions, and brilliant organization make this anthology an essential addition for serious students of ethics and morality.
4. Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics
Going from introductions and anthologies to primary ethical texts, what better place to start than with a discussion of morality which, though over two thousand years old, is one of the best works on the subject and still drives discussion in the present? In Nicomachean Ethics, the guiding question of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle is: what is best for a human being? his answer is eudaimonia, which is variously translated from the Greek as ‘well-being’, ‘happiness’, ‘bliss’, and in the context of virtue ethics endorsed by Aristotle,’ human flourishing. Nicomachean Ethics is Aristotle’s exploration of how we can achieve eudaimonia by living well. is an essential text for anyone interested in the foundations and development of ethical thought in Western society.
5. foundations of the metaphysics of morality, by immanuel kant
Another mainstay of the philosophical tradition, Immanuel Kant sets forth his monumentally influential ethical vision in the 1785 groundwork of The Metaphysics of Morals. Kant argues that human beings are ends in themselves, that they should never be used by anyone as a mere means, and that morality is rooted in and justified by reason. Kant’s deontological or “duty-based” system of ethics is still advocated by many thinkers today, and this is the best book to explore it. if you are interested in ethics, this brilliant and difficult book should be on your shelf!
6. utilitarianism, by john stuart mill
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Aristotle’s virtue ethics, Kant’s duty ethics: It would be inexcusable if we didn’t mention Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarianism (“the greatest happiness for the greatest number”) as another fundamental moral system in Western thought . Although Bentham is the known figurehead of the movement, the foundation of utilitarian thought is actually laid most powerfully in John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism of 1861, a thoroughly classic exposition and defense of the widely held moral position. This particular edition also contains Mill’s 1868 speech on capital punishment, which is a fantastically thought-provoking read.
7. on the genealogy of morality, by friedrich nietzsche
unlike the other philosophers on this list, the german philosopher friedrich nietzsche was not so interested in prescribing an explicit ‘one size fits all’ moral system, but instead was committed to understanding the history of western moral thought and diagnosing exactly what wrong with that. In his 1887 masterpiece, On the Genealogy of Morals, Nietzsche explosively criticizes all moral systems that preceded him and removes the reader from any preconceived ideas about what constitutes “good”, “evil”, “bad conscience”. “, as well as ascetic ideals and the purpose of life. Nietzsche proposes a total ‘revaluation of values’, arguing that all moral philosophy since Socrates has been the morality of the weak, and that if human civilization is to progress, we must adopt impulses that are consistent with saying ‘yes’ to morality. life, impulses that differ for each individual. A hugely entertaining and challenging read on the genealogy of morality, it is highly recommended for anyone interested in delving into the origin of moral systems and how they should evolve.
8. practical ethics, by peter singer
Is it ethical to buy luxuries when others don’t have enough to eat? Should we buy meat from farmed animals? if your carbon footprint is above the world average, are you doing something immoral? These questions and more are lucidly addressed in moral philosopher Peter Singer’s hugely popular introduction to applied ethics, Practical Ethics. Singer provokes readers by bringing seemingly common-sense moral arguments to his sometimes unsettling conclusions, and shows the flaws in much of our thinking about right and wrong. First published in 1979, the text is now in its third edition: its enduring popularity and elegant style make it an ideal text for anyone interested in delving into contemporary moral issues.
9. what we owe each other, for you. meter. scan
published in 1998, the american philosopher t. meter. Scanlon’s What We Owe One Another has quickly established itself as a modern classic of moral philosophy. Within 432 thought-provoking pages, Scanlon outlines his contractualist view of ethics, in which he asserts that thinking about right and wrong means thinking about what we do in terms that can be justified to others and cannot. be reasonably rejected. A scrupulous and relentlessly demanding read, this is a good example of how to write about moral philosophy for any aspiring student of the subject.
further reading
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