Ebook: Search for a Rational Ethic

Knowledge we have in great abundance, and enough exists if wisely used to solve many of the most threatening problems of humanity. The key word is wisely; wisdom we sorely lack. There is a special role to be played by distinguished scholars who, having passed the most challenging tests of their specialized fields, are willing to confront the central questions of human existence. What is life (where is the boundary between life and non-life)? Why do we behave as we do? What is the meaning of human existence? Where do ethical precepts come from? What should be the goals of civilization, beyond mere survival and hedonic reward? These are the kinds of topics George Snell boldly addresses in Search for a Rational Ethic. Scientific knowledge is especially important in any such endeavor, because we are in the golden age of science, and scientific research increasingly impinges on the domain of philosophy. Indeed, it is not too much to say that philosophy has consisted to a large extent of failed neurological models. Much of its investigation pivots on how the mind works, that is, to what extent the mind can perceive reality, how concepts are formed, what is the source of moral reasoning, and so forth. In­ creasingly, scientific research is leading us to the physical basis of mind. If we are ever to create the correct neurological model, it will be through science.

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The purpose of Search for A Rational Ethic is to show that men and women of goodwill, for their own good, need an ethical society. To accomplish this, a factual approach is used. Our ethical failures and the problems that they create are examined. From the fields of genetics and sociobiology is drawn information about man's moral nature - its flaws, its potential for good, its variability. In an examination of ethics and normal law, clarity and relevance are achieved by a careful definition of the abstract terms necessary in any discussion of these subjects. A concluding chapter explores the means available in any search for a better world.

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The purpose of Search for A Rational Ethic is to show that men and women of goodwill, for their own good, need an ethical society. To accomplish this, a factual approach is used. Our ethical failures and the problems that they create are examined. From the fields of genetics and sociobiology is drawn information about man's moral nature - its flaws, its potential for good, its variability. In an examination of ethics and normal law, clarity and relevance are achieved by a careful definition of the abstract terms necessary in any discussion of these subjects. A concluding chapter explores the means available in any search for a better world.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xvi
Introduction....Pages 1-7
A Revolutionary Age....Pages 8-29
What’s Gone Wrong?....Pages 30-125
The Biological Background of Social Behavior: Genetic Factors....Pages 126-166
The Biological Background of Social Behavior: Evolutionary Factors....Pages 167-220
What Is Ethics?....Pages 221-240
The Rules We Live By....Pages 241-260
Looking to the Future....Pages 261-268
Back Matter....Pages 269-317

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The purpose of Search for A Rational Ethic is to show that men and women of goodwill, for their own good, need an ethical society. To accomplish this, a factual approach is used. Our ethical failures and the problems that they create are examined. From the fields of genetics and sociobiology is drawn information about man's moral nature - its flaws, its potential for good, its variability. In an examination of ethics and normal law, clarity and relevance are achieved by a careful definition of the abstract terms necessary in any discussion of these subjects. A concluding chapter explores the means available in any search for a better world.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xvi
Introduction....Pages 1-7
A Revolutionary Age....Pages 8-29
What’s Gone Wrong?....Pages 30-125
The Biological Background of Social Behavior: Genetic Factors....Pages 126-166
The Biological Background of Social Behavior: Evolutionary Factors....Pages 167-220
What Is Ethics?....Pages 221-240
The Rules We Live By....Pages 241-260
Looking to the Future....Pages 261-268
Back Matter....Pages 269-317
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