Ethics for Everyone : A Skills-Based Approach

Written by renowned ethicist Larry R. Churchill, this is the first book to explore ethics as the mastery of personal and interactive skills, rather than the use of theories to solve problems. Written for students of ethics preparing for careers in medicine, law, and business, its basic argument is that learning and honing these skills is the fundamental work of ethics. The book also describes important but underemphasized concepts and shows their centrality to ethics, drawing from a wide range of sources including poetry, short stories, and novels, as well as philosophical and religious writings. A lifespan approach and the practical uses of the skills and concepts are emphasized throughout, along with multiple exercises and case studies.

Most of us desire to be moral people, but too often we struggle to translate philosophical concepts about morality and ethics to everyday life. One way we can bridge this gap is by approaching ethics as skills that we can develop rather than a set of ideas we must grasp. Taking this practical approach, and writing especially for medicine, law, and business students trying to understand ethics in the real world Larry R. Churchill examines morality in the context of human experience. His book builds readers'' understanding of ethics from the raw materials of moral life: the curiosity we feel when confronted with moral differences, the perplexities of practical life, and the satisfactions of moral growth. The book orients ethics around the skills that are needed for sound ethical reflection and deliberation, acknowledging that ethical issues change as we change, and their concerns extend over a lifespan. To Churchill, learning and honing these personal and relational skills is the fundamental work of ethics and the foundation for judicious use of more theoretical approaches. A succinct and compassionate guide to ethical living, this book draws from literature, as well as philosophical and religious writings. It encompasses both popular and underemphasized concepts, and demonstrates their centrality to ethics. Exercises and case studies reinforce the practical skills it teaches. Ethics for Everyone shows the wide range of skills and human capacities that make the field of ethics true to human experience. It is a book to be read and then re-read at life''s major junctures.