Introduction to Ethics

This book stresses the importance of doing ethics, not learning ethics. Learning ethics emphasizes transmission of knowledge about philosophers and their ethical theories. It is primarily an historical and analytical approach that does not intentionally challenge students to embrace an ethic of care for themselves and others. When too much emphasis is on comprehension of theories and historical facts students’ feelings, motivations, and moral growth are often compromised. The purpose of this book is to provide a resource that puts students’ moral growth at the center of every discussion. It is meant to help students to move from recognizing immoral actions to motivating them to resist the pressure to participate in those actions. Discussions on case studies, watching movies and all other activities suggested in the book are meant to assist educators to move students from the cognitive domain of learning to affective domain, where their attitudes and values are positively changed.

Unlike many Ethics textbooks, where morality and moral development is a rational matter, this volume has added self-transcendence theory because it provides useful insights on how to motivate students to make moral decisions and resist peer pressure.