The clean coder

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H. Tristam Engelhardt, Jr. and Daniel Callahan

This book represents an initial attempt to do that which we at least can no longer avoid: to ask about the origin and validity of our moral assumptions, to see the way in which ethics and science have mutually influenced each other, to move away from practical problems of decision making to some of the larger theoretical issues which ultimately come to shape the way decisions are made. That moral philosophy has been in disarray for some decades is a proposition with which few will argue. Nor will many contend that there is any greater clarity at present on the moral assumptions and goals of sicence and medicine. Perhaps it is too much to hope that progress can be made -- perhaps we are, as a society and a culture, going to be forced to live with, and to live out, the present confusion. But both moral philosophy and the sciences do share a common premise, so far unchallenged: that it is always worth the effort to understand more, to attempt to think more deeply, to remain congenitally uneasy in the face of confusion, uncertainty, and unanswered questions. - Preface.

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Gregory Chaitin

Explains how evolution works on a mathematical level, arguing that mathematical theory is an essential part of evolution while highlighting mathematical principles in the biological world.

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Mitchell Land, Bill W. Hornaday

"When America's mass media communicators confront complex ethical dilemmas, they usually take a utilitarian approach--which means they make decisions based upon "the greatest good for the greatest number." Although the utilitarian approach has many strengths, critics point out that the final arbiter of what is best for the community falls upon the individual communicator, who is not always in a good position to make such a determination. In contrast, a communitarian approach emphasizes community values as the final arbiter of a moral dilemma. Mass communicators should make decisions based on the values of the community rather than upon anticipated consequences or personal ethics. But, critics point out, what is community? A neighborhood, a city, a state, or a nation? And what if a "community" has a conflicting set of values? Which one should dominate, and who has the right to choose? Many media ethics textbooks lean toward one model or the other.^ But Contemporary Media Ethics uses both perspectives to understand and resolve ethical dilemmas that mass communicators face. The three chapters in the first section of the book ("Foundations") examine the history and philosophy of the utilitarian and communitarian perspectives, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of both. Then the remaining 23 chapters, which are written by leading media scholars and media professionals, apply both of these perspectives to real-world cases that deal with terrorism, AIDS, racial justice, environmental activism, homosexuality, sex in advertising, public relations, and the First Amendment. In Contemporary Media Ethics, readers also are introduced to the "Point-of-Decision Pyramid Model"--A new method for ethical decision-making developed by the editors that emphasizes a philosophical foundation as a starting point.^ This deductive approach is contrasted with the more inductive approach implied by the Potter Box, thus giving this book a unique niche in the media ethics textbook market."--Publisher's website.

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Michael Cholbi

This work is a comprehensive investigation of the main philosophical issues surrounding suicide. It contains seminal arguments concerning the nature of suicide and its moral permissibility, the duty to die, the rationality of suicide, and the ethics of suicide intervention. This book sheds philosophical light on one of the most puzzling and enigmatic human behaviors.