Why Be Good?: A Historical Introduction to Ethics - Softcover

"This is a wonderful little book."--Robert Hollinger, Iowa State University "The quality of this book, the writing, and its organization are outstanding. Its strengths are the way it organizes ethics around a central question, its broad scope, and, in particular, that it is carefully and conscientiously crafted. This is one of the finest historical introductions to ethics I have encountered."--John G. Messerly, Austin Community College "Why Be Good provides a valuable introduction to the history of moral thought that is regrettably lacking in the many survey-type texts that focus ineffectively on available ethics theories to the detriment of the rationale behind them."--Joel Whittemore, McMurry University "This is a wonderful little book."--Robert Hollinger, Iowa State University "The quality of this book, the writing, and its organization are outstanding. Its strengths are the way it organizes ethics around a central question, its broad scope, and, in particular, that it is carefully and conscientiously crafted. This is one of the finest historical introductions to ethics I have encountered."--John G. Messerly, Austin Community College "Why Be Good provides a valuable introduction to the history of moral thought that is regrettably lacking in the many survey-type texts that focus ineffectively on available ethics theories to the detriment of the rationale behind them."--Joel Whittemore, McMurry University "This is a wonderful little book."--Robert Hollinger, Iowa State University "The quality of this book, the writing, and its organization are outstanding. Its strengths are the way it organizes ethics around a central question, its broad scope, and, in particular, that it is carefully and conscientiously crafted. This is one of the finest historical introductions to ethics I have encountered."--John G. Messerly, Austin Community College "Why Be Good provides a valuable introduction to the history of moral thought that is regrettably lacking in the many survey-type texts that focus ineffectively on available ethics theories to the detriment of the rationale behind them."--Joel Whittemore, McMurry University "This is a wonderful little book."--Robert Hollinger, Iowa State University "The quality of this book, the writing, and its organization are outstanding. Its strengths are the way it organizes ethics around a central question, its broad scope, and, in particular, that it is carefully and conscientiously crafted. This is one of the finest historical introductions to ethics I have encountered."--John G. Messerly, Austin Community College "Why Be Good provides a valuable introduction to the history of moral thought that is regrettably lacking in the many survey-type texts that focus ineffectively on available ethics theories to the detriment of the rationale behind them."--Joel Whittemore, McMurry University

Why Be Good is an introduction to ethics whose guiding theme is the question posed by Thasymachus in Plato's Republic. Historically organized, the text presents a series of responses to the title question from Plato, Aristotle, thinkers in Christianity, Aquinas, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, Mill, Nietzsche, and several twentieth century philosophers. Duncan Richter explains each philosophers thoughts on ethics, virtue, and character and discusses ensuing objections to each philosophers arguments. Along the way, students are encouraged to think about their own lives, what it meant to be good, and why or, rather, if they shoudl be good. Key terms appear for the first time in boldface, questions end each chapter, and suggestions for further reading are provided throughout.