The Fundamentals of Ethics

The Fundamentals of Ethics, first published in 2010, is a primer on the basics of moral philosophy written by philosophy professor Russ Shafer-Landau for new students in the field. The book is divided into thirds covering the three topics of value theory, normative ethics, and metaethics and designed to be read in any order. This guide references the book’s fourth edition, which has a comprehensive glossary of terms at the end.

The Fundamentals of Ethics introduces relevant topics to the study of moral philosophy through Shafer-Landau’s viewpoint. Aware that there are drawbacks when opting to write an introductory guide from a unilateral perspective, Shafer-Landau published a complementary book that includes additional readings and primary sources. This companion book, entitled The Ethical Life: Fundamental Readings in Ethics and Moral Problems, is a collection of foundational texts written by various Western philosophers meant to provide readers with a multilateral perspective. The Fundamentals of Ethics and its companion book are Shafer-Landau’s most recent publications.

Plot Summary

The Fundamentals of Ethics is separated into three parts. The first is an overview of value theory, the branch of moral philosophy concerned with understanding how to live a good life. This section seeks to answer questions such as “what is worth pursuing in life?” and “how do we improve our condition?” by exploring various existing ethical theories. Chapter 1 is an overview of hedonism, and Chapter 2 is an analysis of its limits. Chapters 3 and 4 offer another avenue to understanding value theory through an analysis and critique of the desire satisfaction theory.

The next section covers normative ethics, which seeks to explain the nature of moral relations between humans. Each chapter is dedicated to a different moral theory and includes an introduction of its premises and an analysis of its advantages and flaws. Chapter 5 explores the complicated relationship between morality and religion. In this section, Shafer-Landau demonstrates that morality can exist independently of God. This discussion paves the way for the rest of the book, which offers a strictly secular understanding of ethics. Chapter 6 explores natural law theory, a philosophical doctrine that posits human nature as the ultimate factor that guides morality. Chapter 7 turns to psychological egoism, the belief that people are only motivated by self-interest. This psychological hypothesis will later inspire the development of a moral theory, ethical egoism, covered in Chapter 8.

Chapter 9 and 10 are dedicated to consequentialism and its flaws. The main ethical theory covered here is utilitarianism, the belief that maximizing happiness is a fundamental moral duty. In contrast, Chapters 11 and 12 cover the Kantian perspective, which views morality as derived from an individual’s intentions rather than the consequences of his actions. Together, they illustrate why Kantian ethics constitute the most comprehensive opposing theory to utilitarianism. Chapters 13 and 14 explore the attractions and problems of the social contract theory. This philosophy is a classic example of proceduralism, a method of moral inquiry that seek to prove from the ground up the moral quality of human actions.

Chapters 15 and 16 shift away from the monistic theories covered above and turn to ethical pluralism. These chapters analyze the advantages and problems of ethical subjectivism and ethical particularism. Chapter 17 turns to virtue ethics, the belief that morality should be guided by the actions of a moral exemplar. The last chapter of this section introduces feminist ethics, which, by virtue of being authored by women, is a departure from the rest. It posits that a moral framework based on care rather than competition will reflect better on society.

The final third explores metaethics, which is the branch of moral philosophy that examines the validity of the claims made by value ethics and normative ethics. It covers topics such as moral skepticism, relativism, and nihilism. Chapter 19 lists the advantages and drawbacks of ethical relativism, while Chapter 20 analyzes error theory and expressivism, two principles of moral nihilism. The sections of The Fundamentals of Ethics can be read in any order, and each chapter systematically investigates the logic behind the most influential ethical theories in Western moral philosophy.