Did the Gulf War defend moral principle or Western oil interests? Is violent pornography an act of free speech or an act of violence against women? In Casuistry and Modern Ethics, Richard B. Miller sheds new light on the potential of casuistry—case-based reasoning—for resolving these and other questions of conscience raised by the practical quandaries of modern life.

Rejecting the packaging of moral experience within simple descriptions and inflexible principles, Miller argues instead for identifying and making sense of the ethically salient features of individual cases. Because this practical approach must cope with a diverse array of experiences, Miller draws on a wide variety of diagnostic tools from such fields as philosophy of science, legal reasoning, theology, literary theory, hermeneutics, and moral philosophy.

Opening new avenues for practical reasoning, Miller's interdisciplinary work will challenge scholars who are interested in the intersections of ethics and political philosophy, cultural criticism, and debates about method in religion and morality.

Modern advances in science and medicine bring with them an array of complex ethical dilemmas. In Ethical Issues for a New Millennium editor John Howie addresses contemporary ethical problems with eight essays from top thinkers in the field. This collection offers new and comprehensive overviews of some very tough ethical issues that will remain foremost in our minds in the years ahead.  Each essay is written by a recognized authority within his or her specific field, and brings to light ethical questions rooted in ongoing philosophical debates in arenas such as human rights, the welfare state, women’s rights, genetic and gender equality, genetic equity, cloning, organ transplants, environmental ethics, insurrectionist ethics, and the erosion of moral sensibility.

        

These lectures where originally presented at Southern Illinois University as part of the Wayne Leys Memorial Lectures series. This collection represents the fourth volume in the series.