Public Health Policy and Ethics brings together philosophers and practitioners to address the foundations and principles upon which public health policy may be advanced. What is the basis that justifies public health in the first place? Why should individuals be disadvantaged for the sake of the group? How do policy concerns and clinical practice work together and work against each other? Can the boundaries of public health be extended to include social ills that are amenable to group-dynamic solutions? These are some of the crucial questions that form the core of this volume of original essays sure to cause practitioners to engage in a critical re-evaluation of the role of ethics in public health policy.

This volume is unique because of its philosophical approach. It develops a theoretical basis for public health and then examines cutting-edge issues of practice that include social and political issues of public health. In this way the book extends the usual purview of public health. Public Health Policy and Ethics is of interest to those working in public health policy, ethics and social philosophy. It may be used as a textbook for courses on public health policy and ethics, medical ethics, social philosophy and applied or public philosophy.

This second edition of International Public Health Policy and Ethics complements the popular first edition with contemporary problems in international public health. It brings together philosophers and practitioners to address the foundations and principles upon which public health policy may be advanced – especially in the international arena. What is the basis that justifies public health in the first place? Why should individuals be disadvantaged for the sake of the group? How do policy concerns and clinical practice work together and work against each other? Can the boundaries of public health be extended to include social ills that are amenable to group-dynamic solutions? What about political issues? How can international finance make an impact? These are some of the crucial questions that form the core of this volume of original essays sure to cause practitioners to engage in a critical re-evaluation of the role of ethics in public health policy. With a targeted new essay dealing with COVID and public health issues in Africa this second edition provides a resource building on the first edition. 

This book contains original essays that look at contagious/infectious disease pandemics and the ethical public policy and administration these have entailed. In particular, the pandemics of the 1918 flu pandemic, HIV in the 1990s, SARS in 2003, Ebola from 2014-2016 and the novel COVID-19 in 2020 are highlighted. The contributions in this work offer the reader insights in these and several other recent pandemics that present differently-either via contagion or mortality rate-and how each should be addressed by countries of various sorts. This book is a must for the ongoing debate on how we should treat public health crises, such as the one we have all just encountered in the novel COVID-19 pandemic.

Basic Ethics presents for a wide range of students and other interested readers the questions raised in thinking about ethical problems, the answers offered by moral philosophy, and the means to better integrate into both the reader's world and personal life. It takes up what the author calls a "worldview theory," which shows readers how to begin with the values and understanding of the world that they already possess in order to transition from there to new levels of increasing ethical awareness. Updates to the third edition include the more thorough integration of feminist ethics into the principal theoretical traditions, a new chapter on the ethical responsibility to be well informed of current events, expanded coverage of human rights, and additional opportunities on how to use ethical reasoning in thinking about one's own life and about public policy. Key Features: Links personal values to a philosophical treatment of the major ethical theories Presents ethics in the context of social/political issues that face our nation and the world Challenges the student to react to the presented material through critical exercises that may be used as weekly assignments and can form the basis of class discussion and evaluation. Engages the student to think about underlying issues first (in the basic questions) before presenting the most popular solutions (in the basic answers) Invites the reader to make up her own mind on how to formulate an ethical theory that will help her in her own life Offers a 16-chapter format to fit into most college-semester calendars Presents an overall structure that establishes foundational problems in ethical theory in the first section of the book that are variously addressed by the different ethical theories in the second section of the book Highlights key terms to help the reader grapple with issues raised (which are reviewed and defined in a final Glossary) Includes a final chapter designed to help students comprehend the book in its entirety. Updates to the Third Edition: Highlights new research on human rights and their relevance to ethical thinking and contemporary moral issues Integrates feminist ethics into the principal theoretical traditions: virtue ethics, ethical intuitionism, and some versions of deontology Provides new coverage of "fake news" and the moral responsibility to be well and accurately informed of current events Expands opportunities to use ethical reasoning in thinking about one's own life and about public policy.

This book is a collection of twelve essays devoted to Michael Boylan's important work in moral philosophy, A Just Society. The collection is thematically organized to mirror Boylan's own volume, so the first half explores fundamental issues of justification in ethics while the second half focuses on issues involving ethical discourse, social justice, and the moral foundations of public policy. In their critical and engaging essays, the authors challenge many of the original and controversial arguments developed and defended by Boylan in his book, and Boylan responds in a lengthy and philosophically rich reply. The book will appeal both to philosophers working on the cutting edge of moral and political theory and to public policy practitioners working to make society more just

The Process of Argument: An Introduction is a necessary companion for anyone seeking to engage in successful persuasion: To organize, construct, and communicate arguments. It is both comprehensive and accessible: An authoritative guide to logical thinking and effective communication. The book begins with techniques to improve reading comprehension, including guides on navigating through fake news and internet trolls. Then, readers are taught how to reconstruct deductive, inductive, and abductive presentations so that the logical structure is explicit. And finally, there is a step-by-step guide for responding to these texts via the argumentative essay. Along the way are current examples from social media and elsewhere on the internet along with guides for assessing truth claims in an ever-complicated community worldview. Throughout, are carefully selected reading questions and exercises that will pace readers in order to ensure that the text is securely grasped and successfully applied. Key Features Offers guidance on how to read a text through self-analysis and social criticism Provides a step-by-step procedure for allowing the student to move from reading to reconstruction to being prepared to write an effective argumentative essay Presents truth theory and shows readers how they can helpfully acquaint themselves with a version of realistic, foundational epistemology Offers guidelines and helpful tools on how best to structure an argumentative, pro or con, essay Includes expansive coverage of inductive logic through the use and assessment of statistics Covers abductive logic as it applies to the analysis of narrative in argumentative writing Has up-to-date examples from the media, including from blogs, social media, and television Includes a helpful glossary of all important terms in the book

This book examines the origins of ancient Greek science using the vehicles of blood, blood vessels, and the heart. Careful attention to biomedical writers in the ancient world, as well as to the philosophical and literary work of writers prior to the Hippocratic authors, produce an interesting story of how science progressed and the critical context in which important methodological questions were addressed. The end result is an account that arises from debates that are engaged in and "solved" by different writers. These stopping points form the foundation for Harvey and for modern philosophy of biology. Author Michael Boylan sets out the history of science as well as a critical evaluation based upon principles in the contemporary canon of the philosophy of science-particularly those dealing with the philosophy of biology.

This cutting-edge volume of original essays features a diverse, international team of prominent scholars examining issues of morality and justice within a global perspective. The chapters are grouped according to an integrative design that progresses from normative principles to normative theories to normative applications. Applications chapters address current significant and provocative topics such as poverty and the global economy; global health; religion; war; and gender, identity, and family. Distinguished philosopher and volume editor Michael Boylan provides a unifying introduction to each section. In addition, an abstract and list of key words provide readers with an informative entry into each reading. An engaging resource for all students of philosophy and politics, The Morality and Global Justice Reader not only offers an essential foundation of global justice and its policy implications, but also aims to inspire readers to positive action for change.

In this concise, single-authored text, renowned scholar and professor Michael Boylan examines the moral justifications underlying key global justice issues and provides students with the analytical tools to approach those issues critically. Introductory chapters establish a thorough but accessible foundation in theory and moral justification, and subsequent chapters apply those concepts to key areas of global concern: poverty; public health; race, gender, and sexual orientation; democracy and social/political dialog; globalization; the environment; war and terrorism; and immigrants and refugees. For easy reference and review, each chapter includes key terms, critical applied reasoning exercises (CARE), and problems and thought experiments perfect for class discussions or writing exercises. The appendix (Getting Involved) guides students in putting ethical principles to work.

This informative book is a necessary companion for anyone seeking to uncover the secret of successful persuasion: to organize, construct, and communicate arguments. It is at once comprehensive and accessible, an authoritative guide to logical thinking and effective communication. First, the text defines the nature and uses of argument, explaining how to read argument carefully. Such analysis then requires the student to reconstruct arguments in his or her own words. Finally, the reader is taught how to create a critical, reasoned response, thus constructing his or her own argument. To increase its accessibility and expand its range of application, Critical Inquiry uses (in addition to textual examples) advertisements from print media as 'texts' for applying its principles to subjects outside the traditional mode of academic presentation. Throughout, carefully selected reading questions and exercises pace the reader and ensure that the material is securely grasped and successfully applied.

Philosophy: An Innovative Introduction features a unique, engaging approach to introduce students to philosophy. It combines traditional readings and exercises with fictive narratives starring central figures in the history of the field from Plato to Martin Luther King, Jr. The book makes innovative use of compelling short stories from two writers who have prominently combined philosophy and fiction in their work. These narratives illuminate pivotal aspects of the carefully selected classic readings that follow. This gives students two ways to understand the philosophical positions: through indirect argument in fiction and through direct, deductive presentations. Study questions and writing exercises accompany each set of readings and help students grasp the material and create their own arguments.

As one of the most important ethicists to emerge since the Second World War, Alan Gewirth continues to influence philosophical debates concerning morality. In this ground-breaking book, Gewirth's neo-Kantianism, and the communitarian problems discussed, form a dialogue on the foundation of moral theory. Themes of agent-centered constraints, the formal structure of theories, and the relationship between freedom and duty are examined along with such new perspectives as feminism, the Stoics, and Sartre. Gewirth offers a picture of the philosopher's theory and its applications, providing a richer, more complete critical assessement than any which has occurred to date.

This cutting-edge volume of original essays features a diverse, international team of prominent scholars examining issues of morality and justice within a global perspective. The chapters are grouped according to an integrative design that progresses from normative principles to normative theories to normative applications. Applications chapters address current significant and provocative topics such as poverty and the global economy; global health; religion; war; and gender, identity, and family. Distinguished philosopher and volume editor Michael Boylan provides a unifying introduction to each section. In addition, an abstract and list of key words provide readers with an informative entry into each reading. An engaging resource for all students of philosophy and politics, "The Morality and Global Justice Reader" not only offers an essential foundation of global justice and its policy implications, but also aims to inspire readers to positive action for change. A single-authored volume by Michael Boylan, "Morality and""Global Justice: Justifications and Applications," is also available as a complementary or a standalone text.

What is the philosophical voice within literature? Does literature have a voice of its own? Can this voice really be philosophical in its own right? In this book, Michael Boylan argues that some literary works indeed can make their own unique claims in different areas of philosophy. He calls this method fictive narrative philosophy. The first part of the book presents an overview of traditional thinking about philosophy and literature across classical, modern, and contemporary periods. It does not seek to denigrate these methods of studying literature, but rather to ask more of them. The second part then sets out a rigorous definition of what constitutes fictive narrative philosophy. This definition outlines detailed conceptions of the methods of presentation, audience engagement, logical mechanics, and constructional devices of fictive narrative philosophy. The author brings this definition to bear on individual authors and works that can be considered prime examples of fictive narrative philosophy. Finally, the book sets out why and when fictive narratives might be more favorable than traditional philosophical discourse, and how the concept of fictive narrative philosophy can move teaching and scholarship forward in a positive direction. Fictive Narrative Philosophy presents an entirely new and unique approach in which literature can be a form of philosophy. It will appeal to scholars and upper-level students interested in philosophy and literature.

A Just Society represents a complete account of Boylan's original worldview theory of ethics and social philosophy. The author sets out the foundation and application of the personal worldview imperative (for ethics) and the shared community worldview imperative (for social philosophy). These form the structure for a rights-based deontological theory that is holistic and underscored by an understanding of the good will that incorporates novel depictions of the sincere and authentic agent who displays sympathy, care, openness, and love. In the end, A Just Society strikes a balance between extreme liberalism (libertarianism) and those advocating the rule of the general will (utilitarianism). As such, the book makes an important contribution to ethical and political theory, as well as grounding an original approach to public philosophy.

This book contains original essays that look at contagious/infectious disease pandemics and the ethical public policy and administration  these have entailed. In particular, the pandemics of the 1918 flu pandemic, HIV in the 1990s, SARS in 2003, Ebola from 2014–2016 and the novel COVID-19 in 2020 are highlighted. The contributions in this work offer the reader insights in these and several other recent pandemics that present differently—either via contagion or mortality rate—and how each should be addressed by countries of various sorts. This book is a must for the ongoing debate on how we should treat public health crises, such as the one we have all just encountered in the novel COVID-19 pandemic.

Basic Ethics presents for a wide range of students and other interested readers the questions raised in thinking about ethical problems, the answers offered by moral philosophy, and the means to better integrate into both the reader’s world and personal life. It takes up what the author calls a "worldview theory," which shows readers how to begin with the values and understanding of the world that they already possess in order to transition from there to new levels of increasing ethical awareness. Updates to the third edition include the more thorough integration of feminist ethics into the principal theoretical traditions, a new chapter on the ethical responsibility to be well informed of current events, expanded coverage of human rights, and additional opportunities on how to use ethical reasoning in thinking about one’s own life and about public policy.

Key Features:

Links personal values to a philosophical treatment of the major ethical theories

Presents ethics in the context of social/political issues that face our nation and the world

Challenges the student to react to the presented material through critical exercises that may be used as weekly assignments and can form the basis of class discussion and evaluation.

Engages the student to think about underlying issues first (in the basic questions) before presenting the most popular solutions (in the basic answers)

Invites the reader to make up her own mind on how to formulate an ethical theory that will help her in her own life

Offers a 16-chapter format to fit into most college-semester calendars

Presents an overall structure that establishes foundational problems in ethical theory in the first section of the book that are variously addressed by the different ethical theories in the second section of the book

Highlights key terms to help the reader grapple with issues raised (which are reviewed and defined in a final Glossary)

Includes a final chapter designed to help students comprehend the book in its entirety.

Updates to the Third Edition:

Highlights new research on human rights and their relevance to ethical thinking and contemporary moral issues

Integrates feminist ethics into the principal theoretical traditions: virtue ethics, ethical intuitionism, and some versions of deontology

Provides new coverage of "fake news" and the moral responsibility to be well and accurately informed of current events

Expands opportunities to use ethical reasoning in thinking about one’s own life and about public policy.

Table of Contents

Part I: The Basic Questions

1. Living in a World of Values

I. Who We Are and What Do We Value?

II.What Is Ethics?

III.The Individual: Metaethics, Normative Ethics, and Applied Ethics

IV. The Society: Social and Political Ethics

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

2. Personal Worldview and Community Worldview

I. The Normative Nature of Worldview

II. Personal Worldview

III. Community Worldview

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

3. The Ethical Duty to Be Knowledgeable about Your World

I. Epistemology and Action Theory

II. Living in Community and the Obligation to Be an Active Member

III. What Are Facts and What Is Opinion?

IV. Facts and Decision Making

V. How to Ferret out Facts from Propaganda

VI. Deductive, Inductive, and Abductive Logic

Conclusion

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

4. Relativism

I. Cultural Relativism

II. Moral Relativism

III. What Is at Stake?

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

5. Egoism

I. Introduction

II. Psychological Egoism

III. Ethical Egoism

IV. Egoism and Altruism

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

6. Are People Good or Bad?

I. Introduction

II. Humans Are Bad

III. Humans Are Good

IV. What Difference Does It Make?

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

7. Morality and Religion

I. Introduction

II. The Origin of the Problem

III. Absolute Good

IV. Divine Command Theory

V. An Ethics with and without Religion

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

8. Feminist Ethics

I. Introduction

II. Gender: Are Men and Women Different?

III. Care and Justice

IV. Race: What Is Race and Why Is It an Issue?

V. Opportunity and Desert

V. Where Does Feminist Ethics Find a Home in Traditional Theories?

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

Part II: The Basic Answers

9. It’s All about Your Intuition: Ethical Intuitionism

I. Snapshot

II. The Problem this Theory Addresses

III. The Argument for the Theory

IV. The Argument against the Theory

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

10. It’s All about Your Attitude: Ethical Non-Cognitivism

I. Snapshot

II. The Problem this Theory Addresses

III. The Argument for the Theory

IV. The Argument against the Theory

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

11. It’s All about Freely Made Agreements: Ethical Contractarianism

I. Snapshot

II. The Problem this Theory Addresses

III. The Argument for the Theory

IV. The Argument against the Theory

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

12. It’s all About Your Character: Virtue Ethics

I. Snapshot

II. The Problem this Theory Addresses

III. The Argument for the Theory

IV. The Argument against the Theory

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

13. It’s all About the Team: Utilitarianism

I. Snapshot

II. The Problem this Theory Addresses

III. The Argument for the Theory

IV. The Argument against the Theory

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

14. It’s all About Your Duty: Deontology

I. Snapshot

II. The Problem this Theory Addresses

III. The Argument for the Theory

IV. The Argument against the Theory

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

Part III: Putting it All Together

15. Human Rights

I. Snapshot

II. Supporting Human Rights via Traditional Theories

III. Ethical Realism and Anti-Realism and Human Rights

IV. Ethical Intuitionism and Human Rights

V. Ethical Non-Cognitivism and Human Rights

VI. Ethical Contractarianism and Human Rights

VII. Virtue Ethics and Human Rights

VIII. Utilitarianism and Human Rights

IX. Deontology and Human Rights

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

16. Formulating Your Own Answers

I. Snapshot

II. The Problem

III. The Topography of Theory Evaluation

IV. How to Choose an Ethical Theory

V. Applying Ethical Theory to Contemporary Social/Political Problems

VI. Applying Ethical Theory to Personal Life Decisions

Key Terms

End of Chapter Exercise

Notes

Glossary

The Process of Argument: An Introduction is a necessary companion for anyone seeking to engage in successful persuasion: To organize, construct, and communicate arguments. It is both comprehensive and accessible: An authoritative guide to logical thinking and effective communication. The book begins with techniques to improve reading comprehension, including guides on navigating through fake news and internet trolls. Then, readers are taught how to reconstruct deductive, inductive, and abductive presentations so that the logical structure is explicit. And finally, there is a step-by-step guide for responding to these texts via the argumentative essay. Along the way are current examples from social media and elsewhere on the internet along with guides for assessing truth claims in an ever-complicated community worldview. Throughout, are carefully selected reading questions and exercises that will pace readers in order to ensure that the text is securely grasped and successfully applied. Key Features Offers guidance on how to read a text through self-analysis and social criticism Provides a step-by-step procedure for allowing the student to move from reading to reconstruction to being prepared to write an effective argumentative essay Presents truth theory and shows readers how they can helpfully acquaint themselves with a version of realistic, foundational epistemology Offers guidelines and helpful tools on how best to structure an argumentative, pro or con, essay Includes expansive coverage of inductive logic through the use and assessment of statistics Covers abductive logic as it applies to the analysis of narrative in argumentative writing Has up-to-date examples from the media, including from blogs, social media, and television Includes a helpful glossary of all important terms in the book

What is the philosophical voice within literature? Does literature have a voice of its own? Can this voice really be philosophical in its own right? In this book, Michael Boylan argues that some literary works indeed can make their own unique claims in different areas of philosophy. He calls this method fictive narrative philosophy. The first part of the book presents an overview of traditional thinking about philosophy and literature across classical, modern, and contemporary periods. It does not seek to denigrate these methods of studying literature, but rather to ask more of them. The second part then sets out a rigorous definition of what constitutes fictive narrative philosophy. This definition outlines detailed conceptions of the methods of presentation, audience engagement, logical mechanics, and constructional devices of fictive narrative philosophy. The author brings this definition to bear on individual authors and works that can be considered prime examples of fictive narrative philosophy. Finally, the book sets out why and when fictive narratives might be more favorable than traditional philosophical discourse, and how the concept of fictive narrative philosophy can move teaching and scholarship forward in a positive direction. Fictive Narrative Philosophy presents an entirely new and unique approach in which literature can be a form of philosophy. It will appeal to scholars and upper-level students interested in philosophy and literature.

Public Health Policy and Ethics brings together philosophers and practitioners to address the foundations and principles upon which public health policy may be advanced - especially in the international arena. What is the basis that justifies public health in the first place? Why should individuals be disadvantaged for the sake of the group? How do policy concerns and clinical practice work together and work against each other? Can the boundaries of public health be extended to include social ills that are amenable to group-dynamic solutions? What about political issues? How can international finance make an impact? These are some of the crucial questions that form the core of this volume of original essays sure to cause practitioners to engage in a critical re-evaluation of the role of ethics in public health policy.

This timely book by internationally regarded scholar of ethics and social/political philosophy Michael Boylan focuses on the history, application, and significance of human rights in the West and in China. Boylan engages the key current philosophical debates prevalent in human rights discourse today and draws them together to argue for the existence of natural, universal human rights. Arguing against the grain of mainstream philosophical beliefs, Boylan asserts that there is continuity between human rights and natural law and that human beings require basic, essential goods for minimum action. These include food, clean water and sanitation, clothing, shelter, and protection from bodily harm, including basic healthcare. The achievement of this goal, Boylan demonstrates, will require significant resource allocation and creative methods of implementation involving public and private institutions. Using the classroom-tested dynamic approach of combining technical argument with four fictional narratives about human rights, the book invites readers to engage with the most important aspects of the discipline.

Philosophy: An Innovative Introduction features a unique, engaging approach to introduce students to philosophy. It combines traditional readings and exercises with fictive narratives starring central figures in the history of the field from Plato to Martin Luther King, Jr. The book makes innovative use of compelling short stories from two writers who have prominently combined philosophy and fiction in their work. These narratives illuminate pivotal aspects of the carefully selected classic readings that follow. This gives students two ways to understand the philosophical positions: through indirect argument in fiction and through direct, deductive presentations. Study questions and writing exercises accompany each set of readings and help students grasp the material and create their own arguments.

This informative book is a necessary companion for anyone seeking to uncover the secret of successful persuasion: to organize, construct, and communicate arguments. It is at once comprehensive and accessible, an authoritative guide to logical thinking and effective communication. First, the text defines the nature and uses of argument, explaining how to read argument carefully. Such analysis then requires the student to reconstruct arguments in his or her own words. Finally, the reader is taught how to create a critical, reasoned response, thus constructing his or her own argument. To increase its accessibility and expand its range of application, "Critical Inquiry" uses (in addition to textual examples) advertisements from print media as "texts" for applying its principles to subjects outside the traditional mode of academic presentation. Throughout, carefully selected reading questions and exercises pace the reader and ensure that the material is securely grasped and successfully applied.

Public Health Policy and Ethics brings together philosophers and practitioners to address the foundations and principles upon which public health policy may be advanced. What is the basis that justifies public health in the first place? Why should individuals be disadvantaged for the sake of the group? How do policy concerns and clinical practice work together and work against each other? Can the boundaries of public health be extended to include social ills that are amenable to group-dynamic solutions? These are some of the crucial questions that form the core of this volume of original essays sure to cause practitioners to engage in a critical re-evaluation of the role of ethics in public health policy.

This volume is unique because of its philosophical approach. It develops a theoretical basis for public health and then examines cutting-edge issues of practice that include social and political issues of public health. In this way the book extends the usual purview of public health. Public Health Policy and Ethics is of interest to those working in public health policy, ethics and social philosophy. It may be used as a textbook for courses on public health policy and ethics, medical ethics, social philosophy and applied or public philosophy.

This book examines the origins of ancient Greek science using the vehicles of blood, blood vessels, and the heart. Careful attention to biomedical writers in the ancient world, as well as to the philosophical and literary work of writers prior to the Hippocratic authors, produce an interesting story of how science progressed and the critical context in which important methodological questions were addressed. The end result is an account that arises from debates that are engaged in and "solved" by different writers. These stopping points form the foundation for Harvey and for modern philosophy of biology. Author Michael Boylan sets out the history of science as well as a critical evaluation based upon principles in the contemporary canon of the philosophy of science-particularly those dealing with the philosophy of biology.