Revealing Ethics: Theory & Issues

Major text revision released August 2020

Revealing® Ethics: Theory & Issues explores the basics of ethical theory and its application to contemporary issues often taught in introductory ethics and applied ethics courses. The text provides user-friendly, broad, and balanced discussions of representative ethical arguments about key contemporary ethical issues. Learning is reinforced with interactive exercises, open-response questions, and a large bank of review questions. Students keep a running journal of their developing thoughts as they work through the courseware.

The major ethical theories discussed in the first four modules are clearly applied to each ethical issue in subsequent modules. Revealing® Ethics: Theory & Issues explores not only central philosophical theories such as egoism, utilitarianism, rights and justice, and natural law, but also up-to-date treatments of virtue theory and religious ethics. Instructors can easily choose which ethical theories to focus upon for each ethical issue. Each issue module provides historical and legal context of the issue, as well as a balanced application of the ethical theories to that issue. The final module reflects on the value of ethics and considers issues relevant to the future. Content is updated annually, expanding existing material with new developments related to each issue.

Revealing® Ethics: Theory & Issues Modules:

  • What Is Ethics?
  • Egoism & Utilitarianism
  • Justice & Virtue
  • From Nature to God
  • Abortion
  • LGBT+
  • Capital Punishment
  • Euthanasia
  • Environment: Ailing Planet
  • Environment: Ethical Cures
  • Future Ethics
Price: $50

What Is Ethics?

Loving Wisdom & Doing Right
  • Goals: Loving Wisdom & Doing Right
  • Conversation: Individuals & Their Ethics
  • Introduction to Ethics
  • Nature of Philosophy
  • Branches of Philosophy
  • Putting It All Together
  • Summary: Loving Wisdom & Doing Right
  • Try It: Loving Wisdom & Doing Right
Saying What We Mean
  • Goals: Saying What We Mean
  • Facts, Values, Ethics
  • Conversation: Facts, Values, Ethics
  • Judgments
  • Non-normative Judgments
  • Normative Judgments
  • Moral Judgments & Ethics
  • Summary: Saying What We Mean
  • Try It: Saying What We Mean
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Egoism & Utilitarianism

If It Is Good for Me, It Is Right
  • Goals: If It Is Good for Me, It Is Right
  • Conversation: A Moral Argument
  • Ends Justify the Means
  • Ethical Egoism
  • Psychological Egoism
  • Hobbes & Rand
  • Short-Term & Long-Term Interests
  • Problems with Ethical Egoism
  • Summary: If It Is Good for Me, It Is Right
  • Try It: If It Is Good for Me, It Is Right
If It Is Good for Most, It Is Right
  • Goals: If It Is Good for Most, It Is Right
  • Utilitarianism
  • Bentham & Mill
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Preference Utilitarianism
  • Rule Utilitarianism
  • Criticisms of Utilitarianism
  • How Do You Make Moral Arguments?
  • Summary: If It Is Good for Most, It Is Right
  • Try It: If It Is Good for Most, It Is Right
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Justice & Virtue

Matter of Principle
  • Goals: Matter of Principle
  • Deontological Ethics
  • Kantian Ethics
  • Categorical Imperative
  • Conflicting Duties
  • Criticisms of Kantian Ethics
  • Theory of Justice
  • Criticisms of Rawls
  • Another Approach to Justice
  • Summary: Matter of Principle
  • Try It: Matter of Principle
In Search of Excellence
  • Goals: In Search of Excellence
  • Background on Virtue Theory
  • Virtue Theory vs. Other Approaches
  • Being Virtuous
  • Beyond Aristotle
  • Criticisms of Virtue Ethics
  • Summary: In Search of Excellence
  • Try It: In Search of Excellence
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From Nature to God

Just Act Naturally
  • Goals: Just Act Naturally
  • Background of Natural Law
  • Applying Natural Law
  • Criticisms of Natural Law
  • Summary: Just Act Naturally
  • Try It: Just Act Naturally
Is God Relevant?
  • Goals: Is God Relevant?
  • Nature of Religion
  • Religion & Philosophy
  • Religious Ethics – Caveat
  • Approaches to Religious Ethics
  • Divine Command Theory
  • Covenantal Ethics
  • Putting It Together
  • Summary: Is God Relevant?
  • Try It: Is God Relevant?
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Abortion

Just the Facts
  • Goals: Just the Facts
  • Three Abortion Cases
  • From Cases to Generalities
  • Basic Terms
  • When Does Life Begin?
  • Medical Facts
  • Legal Background
  • Summary: Just the Facts
  • Try It: Just the Facts
Who Gets Hurt & Who Benefits?
  • Goals: Who Gets Hurt & Who Benefits?
  • Conversation: Abortion & Crime
  • Conflicting Results
  • Egoist Approach to Abortion
  • Inadequacies of Ethical Egoism
  • Utilitarianism & Abortion
  • Utilitarianism against Abortion
  • Utilitarianism for Abortion
  • Weighing Costs & Benefits
  • Being a Critical Reader
  • Summary: Who Gets Hurt & Who Benefits?
  • Try It: Who Gets Hurt & Who Benefits
Right to Life vs Right to Choose
  • Goals: Right to Life vs Right to Choose
  • Thought Experiment
  • Conversation: Rights of Women & Fetuses
  • Rights Arguments against Abortion
  • Rights Arguments for Abortion
  • Pro-Life & Pro-Choice in Dialogue
  • Rawlsian Justice & Abortion
  • Radical Justice & Abortion
  • Summary: Right to Life vs Right to Choose
  • Try It: Right to Life vs Right to Choose
Life Purpose & Being Prudent
  • Goals: Life Purpose & Being Prudent
  • Virtue & Abortion
  • Common Virtues & Worthwhile Life
  • Moral Wisdom & Abortion
  • Abortion & the Relativity of Virtue
  • Summary: Life Purpose & Being Prudent
  • Try It: Life Purpose & Being Prudent
May We Ever Kill Innocent Life?
  • Goals: May We Ever Kill Innocent Life?
  • Natural Law against Abortion
  • Natural Law for Abortion
  • Principle of Forfeiture
  • Principle of Double Effect
  • Summary of Natural Law Position
  • Summary: May We Ever Kill Innocent Life?
  • Try It: May We Ever Kill Innocent Life?
Commands, Covenants, Abortion
  • Goals: Commands, Covenants, Abortion
  • What Do Religious Americans Believe?
  • American Religions & Abortion
  • Reflecting: Religions & Abortion
  • Commands of God in the Bible
  • Covenantal Ethics & Abortion
  • Truthful Narrative in a Community of Virtue
  • Summary: Commands, Covenants, Abortion
  • Try It: Commands, Covenants, Abortion
Beyond Stereotypes?
  • Goals: Beyond Stereotypes?
  • Facts & Concepts
  • Status of the Fetus
  • Few Absolutists
  • Areas of Agreement
  • The Other Question
  • Summary: Beyond Stereotypes?
  • Try It: Beyond Stereotypes?
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LGBT+

Vocabulary, History & Facts
  • Goals: Vocabulary, History & Facts
  • A National Controversy
  • Homosexuality: Basic Terms
  • Historical Views of Same-Sex Behavior
  • Psychological & Sociological Views
  • Nature or Nurture?
  • Legal Overview
  • Recent LGBT+ Issues
  • Summary: Vocabulary, History & Facts
  • Try It: Vocabulary, History & Facts
Being LGBT+: Harms & Benefits
  • Goals: Being LGBT+: Harms & Benefits
  • Conversation: Consequences
  • Consequences of Being LGBT+
  • Egoists, Psychology, LGBT+
  • Utilitarians, Psychology, LGBT+
  • Egoists, Health, LGBT+
  • Utilitarians, Health, LGBT+
  • Egoists, Society, LGBT+
  • Utilitarians, Society, LGBT+
  • Exploring Teleological Issues
  • Summary: Being LGBT+: Harms & Benefits
  • Try It: Being LGBT+: Harms & Benefits
Discrimination, Hate & Marriage
  • Goals: Discrimination, Hate & Marriage
  • Conversation: Fairness & Discrimination
  • LGBT+ Rights
  • Gay Bashing & Hate Crimes
  • Protection against Discrimination
  • Same-Sex Marriage
  • LGBT+ & Adoption
  • Justice & LGBT+
  • Teleology vs. Deontology
  • Summary: Discrimination, Hate & Marriage
  • Try It: Discrimination, Hate & Marriage
Can LGBT+ Persons Be Virtuous?
  • Goals: Can LGBT+ Persons Be Virtuous?
  • Two Imaginary Towns
  • Virtue & LGBT+ Persons
  • Virtuous Community & LGBT+ Persons
  • Moral Models
  • Summary: Can LGBT+ Persons Be Virtuous?
  • Try It: Can LGBT+ Persons Be Virtuous?
What Is Natural Sex?
  • Goals: What Is Natural Sex?
  • Conversation: Sex in Nature
  • Sex in Nature
  • Orientation vs. Behavior
  • Moral Purpose of Sex
  • Purpose of Sex in Human Beings
  • Natural Law for Same-Sex Orientation
  • Summary: What Is Natural Sex?
  • Try It: What Is Natural Sex?
Commands, Covenants, LGBT+
  • Goals: Commands, Covenants, LGBT+
  • Religion & Same-Sex Relations
  • Bible & Same-Sex Relations
  • Christian Scriptures & Same-Sex Relations
  • Creation, Idolatry, Same-Sex Relations
  • What Does God Command?
  • Covenantal Ethics & Same-Sex Relations
  • Convergence & Divergence
  • Summary: Commands, Covenants, LGBT+
  • Try It: Commands, Covenants, LGBT+
Progress in LGBT+ Rights
  • Goals: Progress in LGBT+ Rights
  • Apparent Progress
  • LGBT+ Discrimination in the Workplace
  • Religious Rights & LGBT+ Rights
  • Future of LGBT+ Discrimination
  • Summary: Progress in LGBT+ Rights
  • Try It: Progress in LGBT+ Rights

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Capital Punishment

From Stoning to Lethal Injection
  • Goals: From Stoning to Lethal Injection
  • Parents on Death Penalty
  • Death Penalty: Key Terms
  • History of Death Penalty
  • Methods of Execution
  • Execution Complications
  • Students on Death Penalty
  • Update: Lethal Injection Protocols
  • Summary: From Stoning to Lethal Injection
  • Try It: From Stoning to Lethal Injection
Death Penalty: Costs & Benefits
  • Goals: Death Penalty: Costs & Benefits
  • Conversation: Deterrence, Prevention, Cost
  • Deterrence, Prevention, Cost
  • Death Penalty & Deterrence
  • Death Penalty vs. Life Imprisonment
  • Egoists & Death Penalty
  • Utilitarianism & Death Penalty
  • Questions for Teleological Ethics
  • Summary: Death Penalty: Costs & Benefits
  • Try It: Death Penalty: Costs & Benefits
Balancing Scales & Right to Life
  • Goals: Balancing Scales & Right to Life
  • Conversation: Retribution, Rights, Fairness
  • Retribution, Rights, Fairness
  • Kantian View of Retribution
  • Right to Life & Death Penalty
  • Wrongful Conviction & Death Penalty
  • Justice, Discrimination, Death Penalty
  • Summary: Balancing Scales & Right to Life
  • Try It: Balancing Scales & Right to Life
Stories of Two Fathers
  • Goals: Stories of Two Fathers
  • Personal Stories on the Death Penalty
  • A Father Seeks the Death Penalty
  • A Father Opposes the Death Penalty
  • Virtues & Death Penalty
  • What Would You Want?
  • Summary: Stories of Two Fathers
  • Try It: Stories of Two Fathers
Right to Punish & Right to Life
  • Goals: Right to Punish & Right to Life
  • Death Penalty: A Quote
  • Natural Law & Death Penalty
  • RIghtful Authority
  • Protection & Deterence
  • Moral Reform
  • Retribution
  • Summary: Right to Punish & Right to Life
  • Try It: Right to Punish & Right to Life
Bible, Covenants & Execution
  • Goals: Bible, Covenants & Execution
  • Religion & Death Penalty
  • Bible & Death Penalty
  • Covenantal Ethics & Death Penalty
  • Physician-Patient Covenant
  • Summary: Bible, Covenants & Execution
  • Try It: Bible, Covenants & Execution
Reconciling Differences
  • Goals: Reconciling Differences
  • Families of Murder Victims
  • Victims’ Rights
  • Retributive Justice & Restorative Justice
  • Right to Life, Abortion, Death Penalty
  • Summary: Reconciling Differences
  • Try It: Reconciling Differences
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Euthanasia

What Is a Good Death?
  • Goals: What Is a Good Death?
  • Decisions at the End of Life
  • What Is Euthanasia?
  • What Is Death?
  • Brain Injuries
  • Futility
  • Legalities & Euthanasia
  • Quinlan & Cruzan
  • Repercussions: Advance Directives
  • Death with Dignity Act
  • Summary: What Is a Good Death?
  • Try It: What Is a Good Death?
Choosing Death: Harms & Benefits
  • Goals: Choosing Death: Harms & Benefits
  • Conversation: Physician Assisted Suicide
  • Conversation: Withdrawing Life Support
  • Egoists, Utilitarians, Euthanasia
  • Egoism & PAS
  • Egoism & PVS
  • Utilitarianism & PAS
  • Utilitarianism & PVS
  • Teleology & Euthanasia
  • Summary: Choosing Death: Harms & Benefits
  • Try It: Choosing Death: Harms & Benefits
Right to Life vs Right to Die
  • Goals: Right to Life vs Right to Die
  • Conflicting Rights
  • Rights Arguments against PAS
  • Questions about anti-PAS Rights Arguments
  • Alternative Kantian Approach to PAS
  • Kant against Removing Tube Feeding
  • Kant for Removing Tube Feeding
  • Rawlsian Justice for PAS
  • Rawlsian Justice against PAS
  • Surrogate Decisions & Advance Directives
  • Radical Justice & Euthanasia
  • Rights, Justice & Euthanasia
  • Summary: Right to Life vs Right to Die
  • Try It: Right to Life vs Right to Die
Four Stories of Euthanasia
  • Goals: Four Stories of Euthanasia
  • Euthanasia in the Headlines
  • Nancy Cruzan
  • Terri Schiavo
  • Virtues & Vices
  • Professional Integrity
  • Dr. Jack Kevorkian
  • Dr. Timothy Quill
  • Professional Virtues & Vices
  • Compassion, Foresight, Concord, Privacy
  • Summary: Four Stories of Euthanasia
  • Try It: Four Stories of Euthanasia
When Is Dying Natural?
  • Goals: When Is Dying Natural?
  • Conversations: Euthanasia
  • Three Euthanasia Cases
  • Euthanasia & Double Effect
  • Extraordinary & Ordinary Means
  • Natural Law & PAS
  • Natural Law in Medical Ethics
  • Summary: When Is Dying Natural?
  • Try It: When Is Dying Natural?
Is Euthanasia Playing God?
  • Goals: Is Euthanasia Playing God?
  • Religion & Euthanasia
  • Religious Insight into Euthanasia
  • Genesis, Exodus, Corinthians
  • Other Biblical References
  • Divine Command & PVS
  • Covenantal Ethics & Euthanasia
  • Covenant & PVS
  • Religion & Death
  • Summary: Is Euthanasia Playing God?
  • Try It: Is Euthanasia Playing God?
Responses to Euthanasia
  • Goals: Responses to Euthanasia
  • Shared Concerns & Responses
  • Advance Directives
  • Summary: Responses to Euthanasia
  • Try It: Responses to Euthanasia
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Environment: Ailing Planet

Ecology, Pollution, Extinction
  • Goals: Ecology, Pollution, Extinction
  • Conversation: Environmental Footprints
  • Environment: Key Terms
  • Air Pollution
  • Water Pollution
  • Land Pollution
  • Plant & Animal Extinction
  • Summary: Ecology, Pollution, Extinction
  • Try It: Ecology, Pollution, Extinction
Consumption & Energy
  • Goals: Consumption & Energy
  • Resource Consumption
  • Biofuels
  • Alternative Energy & Transportation
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Geothermal & Wind Energy
  • Hydroelectric Energy
  • Solar Energy
  • Future of Energy
  • Moral Responsibility & Environment
  • Summary: Consumption & Energy
  • Try It: Consumption & Energy
Climate Change
  • Goals: Climate Change
  • Greenhouse Effect
  • Climate vs Weather
  • Global Warming
  • Kyoto Protocol
  • 350 PPM
  • After the Kyoto Protocol
  • Summary: Climate Change
  • Try It: Climate Change
Diagnosing Our Environmental Ills
  • Goals: Diagnosing Our Environmental Ills
  • Religion & the Ecological Crisis
  • Response of American Religions
  • Stewardship
  • Divine Command & Environment
  • Biblical Biocentrism
  • Theocentrism
  • Covenant & Environment
  • Alternative Christian Views
  • Non-Western Religious Views
  • Implications of White’s Criticism
  • Summary: Diagnosing Our Environmental Ills
  • Try It: Diagnosing Our Environmental Ills
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Environment: Ethical Cures

Anthropocentrism for the People
  • Goals: Anthropocentrism for the People
  • An Ecological Parable
  • Tragedy of the Commons
  • Egoism & Environment
  • Rights & Nonhumans
  • Kant & Environment
  • Rawls & Environment
  • Natural Law & Environment
  • Summary: Anthropocentrism for the People
  • Try It: Anthropocentrism for the People
Toward Ecocentrism for the Planet
  • Goals: Toward Ecocentrism for the Planet
  • Away from Anthropocentrism
  • Utilitarianism & Environment
  • Utilitarianism & Sentient Beings
  • Deep Ecology
  • Ecofeminism
  • Land Ethic
  • Biotic Pyramid
  • Summary: Saving People or Saving a Planet?
  • Try It: Saving People or Saving a Planet?
Ecocentric Virtue
  • Goals: Ecocentric Virtue
  • Virtue & Environment
  • Aldo Leopold
  • Legacy of Aldo Leopold
  • Virtues of Aldo Leopold
  • Ecological Role Model
  • Summary: Ecocentric Virtue
  • Try It: Ecocentric Virtue
Living an Ecocentric Worldview
  • Goals: Living an Ecocentric Worldview
  • Ecocentric Movements
  • Transition Communities
  • The Global Ecovillage Network
  • Life in an Ecovillage
  • Summary: Living an Ecocentric Worldview
  • Try It: Living an Ecocentric Worldview
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Future Ethics

A Bit of Crystal Gazing
  • Goals: A Bit of Crystal Gazing
  • The Future of Our Ethics
  • Issues in the Near Future
  • COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Issues in the Distant Future
  • Summary: A Bit of Crystal Gazing
  • Try It: A Bit of Crystal Gazing

About the Author: Paul Custodio Bube, Ph.D. (Lyon College)

Paul Custodio Bube is the W. Lewis McColgan Professor of Religion at Lyon College, Arkansas. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and his A.B. from the University of Notre Dame. Prof. Bube has written books and articles in the areas of religious ethics, environmental ethics, and process theology. Since 2014, he has been travelling to China working with a group of scholars and activists who are promoting social and spiritual change toward achieving ecological civilization. He has taught courses in applied ethics for over thirty years.

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