Springer The Multidisciplinary Nature of Morality and Applied Ethics

Most people intuitively understand the nature of morality; this tends to belie the fact that morality is more complex, controversial and interesting than generally appreciated. This book provides a comprehensive overview of morality from various disciplines and perspectives. These include ethics and evolution, moral psychology, morality and culture, morality and religion and morality and the law. A chapter on evil illustrates the vulnerability of morality. The book also provides a description and critique of various ethical theories, the difference between a moral obligation and a moral ideal and the views of venerable moral philosophers who argue over issues such as whether objective moral truth exists. A number of practical ethical dilemmas are discussed. The book is written in language accessible to the general reader and  will be of interest to members of organizational, governmental, and professional ethics committees, students in ethics fellowships or ethics degree programs, philosophers, and others who want to learn more about morality. Review “Morality can be a conversation stopper. In The Multidisciplinary Nature of Morality and Applied Ethics, David Steinberg expands the conversation. Drawing upon deep experience as a clinician and medical ethicist, Steinberg offers a rich interdisciplinary analysis of a topic that is easy to invoke yet difficult to define. To that end, Steinberg draws on philosophy, religion, evolutionary biology, psychology, anthropology and the law to paint a nuanced portrait of morality in both theory and practice. This is a beautiful book that will reward the thoughtful reader with its wisdom and erudition.” (Joseph J. Fins, M.D., M.A.C.P., F.R.C.P. is the E. William Davis, Jr., M.D. Professor of Medical Ethics and Chief of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College and Solomon Center Distinguished Scholar in Medicine, Bioethics and the Law at Yale Law School. He is the author of Rights Come to Mind: Brain Injury, Ethics and the Struggle for Consciousness) “David Steinberg begins his remarkable new book by quoting the philosopher who quipped, “If one starts by saying 'morality is'….nothing one says afterward seems quite right." This puzzle serves as both the theme and the motivation for his exploration of morality, taking the reader on a journey through a startling and contrasting variety of perspectives. Steinberg first explores morality through the eyes of evolutionary biologists. He then moves on to linguistic interpretations of morality, morality as seen through the powerful social constructs of culture, religion, and the law, and concludes with the insights of the great moral philosophers and how their work has influenced the practice of ethics in organizations, medicine, and healthcare. A true tour de force, and a fascinating read.” (Robert Truog, MD,Frances Glessner Lee Professor of Medical Ethics, Harvard Medical School. Director, Center for Bioethics, Harvard Medical School) From the Back Cover Most people intuitively understand the nature of morality; this tends to belie the fact that morality is more complex, controversial and interesting than generally appreciated. This book provides a comprehensive overview of morality from various disciplines and perspectives. These include ethics and evolution, moral psychology, morality and culture, morality and religion and morality and the law. A chapter on evil illustrates the vulnerability of morality. The book also provides a description and critique of various ethical theories, the difference between a moral obligation and a moral ideal and the views of venerable moral philosophers who argue over issues such as whether objective moral truth exists. A number of practical ethical dilemmas are discussed. The book is written in language accessible to the general reader and  will be of interest to members of organizational, governmental, and professional ethics committees, students in et