An anthology of applied-ethics debates
Mappes collects paired opposing essays on contested issues like abortion, euthanasia, and punishment. It is structured to present each controversy from both sides.
Social ethics
4 ideas
Reasoning from ethical theory to cases
Readings apply frameworks such as utilitarianism and rights theory to concrete policy questions. The method models moving from principle to judgment.
Moral problems as genuinely two-sided
The pro-and-con format insists reasonable people disagree with arguments, not just opinions. Ethical literacy means grasping the strongest case on each side.
Public policy as an ethical arena
The book treats law and social policy as sites where moral philosophy must be worked out. Abstract ethics is tied to institutional decisions.