Modern Ethics

As Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch labored to make a place for themselves in a male-dominated world, as they made friendships and families, and as they drifted toward and away from each other, they never stopped insisting that some lives are better than others. Drawing on a cluster of recently opened archives and extensive correspondence and interviews with those who knew them best, Benjamin Lipscomb traces the lives and ideas of four friends who gave us a better way to think about ethics, and ourselves.

From Menageries to Modern Zoos: The Epic Evolution of Captive Wildlife A sweeping history of humankind’s enduring fascination with the animal kingdom — from ancient temples and royal courts to the ethical frontiers of modern conservation. For more than five thousand years, humans have gathered wild animals into spaces of wonder, worship, and power. From Menageries to Modern Zoos traces that extraordinary journey — from the sacred crocodile pools of ancient Egypt and the pleasure gardens of imperial China, through the blood-soaked arenas of Rome and the gilded cages of the Renaissance,...

In this classic work, Alasdair MacIntyre examines the historical and conceptual roots of the idea of virtue, diagnoses the reasons for its absence in personal and public life, and offers a tentative proposal for its recovery. While the individual chapters are wide-ranging, once pieced together, they comprise a penetrating and focused argument about the price of modernity.

Since the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision in 2015, sexual identity has dominated both public discourse and cultural trends — yet no historical phenomenon is its own cause. From Augustine to Marx, various views and perspectives have contributed to the modern understanding of the self.

A “marvelous” (Economist) account of how the Christian Revolution forged the Western imagination. Crucifixion, the Romans believed, was the worst fate imaginable, a punishment reserved for slaves. How astonishing it was, then, that people should have come to believe that one particular...

The History of Mental Health Treatment: From Ancient Practices to Modern Science BOOK 3: Modern Mental Health Treatment and Ongoing Debates: Psychotherapy, Medication, Ethics, and the Future of Mental Health Care explores how mental health care evolved from the early twentieth century to today, tracing the ideas, treatments, and controversies that continue to shape modern practice. Written in a clear, accessible style for non specialists, this book explains how psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, and social reform converged to redefine mental illness and its treatment. Rather than ...

Practical and insightful, The Sacred Tradition of Yoga begins with a clear and deep inquiry into the human condition, reminding us of true purpose of Yoga. The second half of the book focuses on the yamas and niyamas, the personal disciplines and social ethics of yoga. Throughout, Dr. Jois’ teachings honor ancient traditions and underscore the benefits we can gain from adopting a yogic way of life in the modern world.

What if the greatest danger facing today’s believers isn’t persecution, but compromise? In a world where moral lines are blurred, truth is traded for convenience, and faith is watered down by cultural pressure, the question is no longer whether Christians can survive—but whether they can stand with integrity. Every day, you are confronted with choices that test your convictions: decisions about relationships, money, politics, sexuality, work, technology, and faith itself. The temptation to bend the truth or blend in with the crowd feels overwhelming. Many have already surrendered ...

Evil threatens human reason, for it challenges our hope that the world makes sense. For 18th-century Europeans, the Lisbon earthquake was manifest evil. Today we view evil as a matter of human cruelty, and Auschwitz as its extreme incarnation. Examining our understanding of evil from the Inquisition to contemporary terrorism, Susan Neiman explores who we have become in the three centuries that separate us from the early Enlightenment. In the process, she rewrites the history of modern thought and points philosophy back to the questions that originally animated it.

Camus and Existentialism: What He Agreed With, What He Rejected, and Why It Matters is a clear, engaging, and deeply readable guide to one of the most important philosophical relationships of the twentieth century. Albert Camus is often linked to Jean Paul Sartre and the existentialist movement, yet Camus spent his entire career insisting that he was not an existentialist. This book explains why. Through ten detailed chapters, readers explore Camus’ early life in Algeria, his philosophical formation, the rise of existentialism in Europe, and the dramatic public split between Camus and ...

Written with clarity and conviction by Rabbi Rafael Grossman, these erudite essays delve into pressing current Jewish issues through the lens of classical and modern commentary found in the Book of Beresheet. With insight and relevance, Rabbi Grossman confronts the spiritual questions of our time, drawing timeless lessons from the Torah’s earliest narratives. Whether studied individually or explored in group settings, the essays call for a return to reflective, discerning Torah study – an approach that nurtures enduring faith and meaningful engagement with tradition. Rabbi Grossman ...

It has been proclaimed many times, but perhaps never more convincingly than now, when every news cycle seems to deliver further confirmation of a world gone mad. Is this the endgame? Author Spencer Klavan is a classicist, with a Ph.D. from Oxford, and a deep understanding of the West. His analysis: The situation is dire. But every crisis we face today, we have faced before. And we can surmount each one. Klavan brings to the West’s defense the insights of Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, and the Founding Fathers to show that in the wisdom of the past lies hope for the future.

The Geometry of God: Understanding the Revolutionary Philosophy of Baruch Spinoza is a compelling exploration of one of history’s most daring and misunderstood thinkers. Baruch Spinoza, the exiled philosopher of Amsterdam, redefined the very nature of God, freedom, and human existence. His vision of a universe governed by reason, necessity, and divine unity would influence the Enlightenment, shape modern science, and continue to inspire seekers of truth centuries later. In clear and engaging language, The Geometry of God guides readers through Spinoza’s life, ideas, and enduring legacy....

David Hume (1711-1776) was the most important philosopher ever to write in English as well as a master stylist. This volume contains his major philosophical works. A Treatise of Human Nature (1739–1740), published while Hume was still in his twenties, consists of three books on the understanding, the passions, and morals.

Discover the Mind That Made the Modern World The Victorians did not simply build an empire—they built a conscience. In an age of restraint and revelation, they turned discipline into virtue, silence into dignity, and guilt into a form of grace. The Victorian Mindset uncovers the psychological machinery behind that moral world, tracing how self-control became salvation and introspection replaced faith. From diaries and drawing rooms to asylums and deathbeds, Richard Fleischman explores how the nineteenth century transformed work into worship, desire into duty, and memory into moral order. ...

This is an audiobook about the big questions in life: knowledge, consciousness, fate, God, truth, goodness, justice. It is for anyone who believes there are big questions out there, but does not know how to approach them. Think sets out to explain what they are and why they are important. Simon Blackburn begins by putting forward a convincing case for the study of philosophy and goes on to give the listener a sense of how the great historical figures such as Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein have approached its central themes.

For centuries, The Bodhicaryavatara has been one of Buddhism’s most influential guides to compassion, ethical strength, and inner transformation. Praised by scholars and practitioners alike, it has shaped how generations understand anger, patience, effort, wisdom, and the responsibility we bear toward one another. Yet for many modern readers, the original text can feel distant—brilliant, but difficult to enter. A Simple Guide to The Bodhicaryavatara changes that. This book opens one of Buddhism’s greatest works with clarity, precision, and relevance, translating Shantideva’s ...

Benedict de Spinoza's Ethics, first published in 1677, constitutes a major systematic critique of the traditional and religious foundations of philosophical thought. In it, Spinoza follows a logical step-by-step format consisting of definitions, axioms, propositions, proofs, and corollaries to create a comprehensive inquiry into the truth about God, nature, and humans' place within the universe. From these broad metaphysical themes, Spinoza derives what he considered to be the highest principles of religion and society and lays out an ethical system in which reason is the supreme value.

Can psychology ethics offer a new platform of moral and ethical leadership in modern society? Are APA ethics standards relevant for individuals across all walks of life and, if so, what stories can be told about the ethical dilemmas that we all face on a daily basis? These questions form the core of this book. Edited by psychologists Sherry Hatcher and Kristine Jacquin with contributions from 10 other authors, the book addresses a wide range of common ethical issues, including confidentiality, multiple relationships, conflicts of interest, sexual and other harassment, informed consent, ...

Sword, Spirit & Samurai presents a complete journey through the moral, spiritual, and ageless wisdom of Japan’s warrior tradition. Bringing together bold new translations of four foundational texts: The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi (including Dokkado), Bushidō: The Soul of Japan by Inazō Nitobe, Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo (including the restored fifth book), and Chūshingura (The Forty-Seven Rōnin), this modern reflective translation edition restores their clarity and depth for the modern reader. From Musashi’s disciplined awareness to Nitobe’s architecture of virtue,...