An Introduction to Ethics: A Natural Law Approach

It is natural for us to wonder what should I do and why? And although a combination of common sense and upbringing aids us in answering our questions it is also natural for us to seek answers that are grounded in something deeper and more enduring than our personal dispositions and those of our parents. We seek a genuinely good life and the practical wisdom necessary to arrive at happiness. In this Introduction to Ethics Brian Besong presents a comprehensive and contemporary introduction to the practical wisdom handed down to us by Aristotle St. Thomas Aquinas and many others--a position now commonly called natural law. Written as a beginners guide the book systematically explores a range of moral issues including moral knowledge happiness right and wrong action and virtues to name a few. Introduction to Ethics explains in a lively way how natural law provides principled and persuasive answers to our most fundamental moral questions. An introduction to traditional natural law theory that is both philosophically substantive and accessible to a general audience has been badly needed. Besongs fine clear and welcome book fills the bill. --Edward Feser Associate Professor of Philosophy Pasadena City College Besong accomplishes a truly impressive task: a clear comprehensive and at the same time brief introduction to classical natural law ethics. Besong has an enviable ability to explain highly complex concepts in terms that undergraduates can understand. --Alexander R. Pruss Professor of Philosophy and Director of Graduate Studies Baylor University Brian Besong is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Ohio Dominican University.