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Title: Moral Choices by Scott B. Rae ISBN: 0-310-23015-2 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 01 August, 2000 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $27.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.33 (3 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Moral choices from a christian prospective
Comment: The book was overall a very good read, simple and to the point. I enjoyed the style and the message. I would recommend this book to anyone teaching ethics. Since most of todays ethics teachers seemed somewhat confused.
Rating: 4
Summary: Nearly very good.
Comment: 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.
Rating: 5
Summary: Great Christian introduction to ethics
Comment: 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 to carefully consider how to present their moral case in the public forum:
'Making the biblical case against homosexuality persuasive to a secular audience that has little regard for biblical authority is difficult, particularly in view of the aggressive gay rights movement and a growing societal tolerance for homosexuality. But that does not mean further attempts to make the Bible's teachings on homosexuality persuasive to the broader culture should not be undertaken.' (page 237) I think this book is a good starting place to help lay people understand ethics and how to carefully think through these issues and the process we go through in coming to moral conclusions.
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Title: Just Business: Christian Ethics for the Marketplace by Alexander Hill, Alec Hill ISBN: 0830818863 Publisher: Intervarsity Press Pub. Date: March, 1997 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Do the Right Thing: Readings in Applied Ethics and Social Philosophy by Francis J. Beckwith ISBN: 0534543359 Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing Pub. Date: 17 August, 2001 List Price(USD): $62.95 |
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Title: Beyond Integrity by Scott B. Rae, Kenman L. Wong ISBN: 031020173X Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 19 August, 1996 List Price(USD): $34.99 |
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Title: Readings in Christian Ethics: Issues and Applications by David K Clark, Robert V. Rakestraw ISBN: 0801020565 Publisher: Baker Book House Pub. Date: August, 1996 List Price(USD): $32.99 |
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Title: Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview by J. P. Moreland, William Lane Craig ISBN: 0830826947 Publisher: Intervarsity Press Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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