Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics

The book was in terrific shape and the seller responded to my inquiries in a timely manner.

Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics is written by Scott B. Rae. Dr Rae currently teaches at Talbot School of Theology as an associate professor of biblical studies and Christian ethics. The book in review is a terrific introduction to the discipline of ethics. The author's purpose for writing the book serves to inform the reader in brevity of all the areas that make up ethics. Dr. Rae's thesis is essentially answered in the question, "Why be moral?" He contends that if the reader concerns him or herself with morality, this book will be of much interest. However, if morality is not a concern, then this book will probably be of little value. Dr. Scott Rae does more than just write a book about ethical systems and views. He illuminates the reader to a whole new worldview, so to speak. If someone had an interest in learning more about ethics---the foundational theories and relevant applications---than this book is a terrific starting point. Scott Rae starts the book off by giving a basic, informative preface to why an individual should study ethics. In chapter two, the author goes through the Old and New Testaments and creates for the reader a foundational understanding of biblical/Christian ethics. During this chapter, the writer analyzes the systems of thought that fall under this umbrella of ethics (e.g. Divine Command Theory, Natural Law, et cetera). The next chapter highlights the major proponents of ethics. From pre-philosophy to the Greeks, the author writes on the pluses and minuses of each of the major figures in this area of study. Dr. Rae also emphasizes the role that Christian theologians and philosophers play on the topic of ethics and where the idea of Christian ethics came from. The writer takes the fourth chapter to write extensively on some of the primary ethical systems and their ways of moral interpretation. He introduces a plausible case study in the first few pages of the chapter. The author writes what each system of ethical thought discussed would think about that particular case study. Later on in the chapter, he goes into more detail about what each of the systems would say about certain ethical dilemmas, as well as giving the problems with each of the methods. The next chapter then gives three more ethical dilemmas: a medical, business, and parental rights and patient's best interest situation and has the reader follow an outline and come to his or her own conclusions about what he or she should do in making an ethical decision. Dr Rae even asks, "What would you do?" Following those theoretical notions, the subsequent chapters each emphasize one of the major issues, respectively, in ethics today. The chapter addresses a brief history, significant findings, court cases, and what secular ethicists would say regarding each of those issues. However, the author makes the case for what a Christian should continue to do to fight for a world more like the one God intended his people to dwell in. The issues addressed in ch

It has been said that we have come as far as we have only because we stand on the shoulders of giants. One of the strengths of ethics when studied as part of a survey of Western civilization has been the discipline's emphasis on consulting the accumulated wisdom of the past. However, in doing so one must not fail to apply these principles to the situations arising in our own time. `Talbot School of Theology Professor Scott Rae in "Moral Choices: An Introduction To Ethics" maintains this balance by not only analyzing the foundations of this field as set forth in Biblical and historical sources as well as more contemporary systems but also by examining a number of issues arising from advances in technology. "Moral Choices" is an excellent resource for believers to investigate the complexities of this field of study since Rae does not overly advocate any one particular position per say but rather examines both sides by comparing where each either measures up to or falls short of either the outright teachings of Scripture or the traditional ethical norms derived from sacred revelation. The student will also come away with a better understanding of the legal or scientific developments giving rise to these disputes. For example, some of the issues examined in "Moral Choices" include abortion, reproductive technology, human cloning, and physician assisted suicide. In regards to abortion, Rae builds a Biblical position on the topic centering around the Fifth Commandment (Thou shalt not murder) by showing how this injunction applies to the fetus since the child in question retains a distinct personhood from conception onward until death. Rae also goes into the background of a number of court decisions establishing the legal framework for this procedure in the United States such as Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood v. Danforth, and Webster v. Reproductive Health Services. C.P. Snow lamented in "The Two Cultures And The Scientific Revolution" of the widening gulf between those educated in the humanities and those schooled in the hard sciences. Moral Choices does a commendable job of bridging the gap. Often average citizens shy away from these complex issues for lack of understanding the science involved. However, by defining terms related to reproductive technologies and genetic engineering such as somatic cell gene therapy (the addition of a gene), somatic cell nuclear transfer (the taking of cells from an adult and placing them in an egg in order to grow a clone), and an overview of various infertility treatments such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection and intrafallopian transfer, "Moral Choices" won't qualify the reader to be a Doctor Frankenstien but will certainly give the concerned laymen a better idea of what exactly goes on in the lab late at night. Like stage magicians, often scientific and philosophical elites prefer to dazzle the common man by keeping much of the process by which they arrive at their proclamations shrouded in

Rae notes in his introduction that "the moral life and moral decision making are the focal points of this book." He has done an admirable job in this regard. While the book is written from a Christian ethicist perspective as an introduction to ethics, his evaluations of different topics are mostly treated with well thought out and logically coherent explanations. He spends two entire chapters giving an honest look at alternative ethical systems including relativism, utilitarianism and ethical egoism. He also spends time looking at several of the significant players historically in ethics including Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Aquinas and Augustine. This edition is expanded and covers topics not included in the first edition.My one and only major concern with Rae is his position that the removal of nutrition and hydration from a non-terminally ill person, which can be found at the top of page 204, is justifiable. He argues that in such a non-terminally ill person (the example here is someone in a perpetual vegetative state), the act of withdrawing or refusing to initiate nutrition or hydration "does not constitute starving someone to death" He further argues that it is the injury that has put them in this state of not being able to feed themselves orally. This argument does not logically hold. By removing or withholding nutrition and hydration from anyone, regardless of the presence of or absence of injury, they are being starved to death unless the injury is terminal and causes death first. In addition, based on Rae's rational anyone with an injury that prevents them from being able to feed themself would justifiably be able to have hydration and nutrition withheld or refused. Also, Rae's argument is in direct contradiction of his arguments against abortion in chapter 6 making his metaethics internally inconsistent.

I found this book when I was browsing through a bookstore in Washington DC a few weeks ago. There were recommendations by Francis J. Beckwith and J.P. Moreland on the book; needless to say these are some of the most learned men in the Christian intellectual world. The book is about ethics (the process of determining right and wrong) and morality (the actual content of right and wrong). Scott B. Rae, in addition to being an academic ethicist (and a Christian committed to Scripture), serves on several California hospital ethics committees. This is apparent by the way he begins many of his chapters; he crafts a real-life scenario where making the moral decision requires some serious thought. The theoretical part of the book is clear and important; knowing why people have specific moral views is as important as its resolution. I think quoting Professor Beckwith's comments on the book might be illustrative: 'In fact, there's not a better book anywhere that so clearly ties ethical theory and moral practice.' The book starts with four background chapters: 'Christian Ethics,' 'Major Figures in the History of Ethics,' 'Ethical Systems and Ways of Moral Reasoning,' and, 'Making Ethical Decisions.' For a person new to the study of ethics and tired of media moral reasoning, these chapters were refreshing. In the, "Christian Ethics," chapter, in addition to examining Scripture, Rae makes the conclusion that Christians who use the Bible can still in good conscience use natural law (this is moral information from general revelation; that is the world and Creation, rather than special revelation, the Bible). He makes the point that general revelation morality (i.e. natural law) and special revelation morality (i.e. the Bible) are usually in agreement though the arbiter in rare cases of disagreement should be Scripture. The importance of natural law for the Christian is not to be underestimated. Granted that the Christian wants to be able to influence his/her surrounding culture for Christ, promoting justice, order etc., natural law means that a Christian can make a moral argument without quoting the Bible or compromising the Bible. The sections on the history of ethics and ethical systems are helpful both to the person who wants to simply learn about ethics, those who want to understand the reasoning people use in the public forum and so on. About half of the book is dedicated to the big moral issues of our day: Abortion, Reproductive Technologies, Genetic Technologies and Human Cloning, Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia, Capital Punishment, Sexual Ethics, The Morality of War and Legislating Morality. The general approach that Rae takes is to use a scenario at the beginning of the chapter, offer arguments for and against, evaluate these arguments, look at Scripture, and then offer a conclusion. Also, each section has footnotes and a, 'Further Reading,' list. One of Rae comments from the, 'Sexual Ethics,' chapter could serve as a reason for all Christians