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Ethics and Political Philosophy

Earl W. Spurgin

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

Historical Dictionary Of Ethics, Harry Gensler, S.J., Earl Spurgin Apr 2013

Historical Dictionary Of Ethics, Harry Gensler, S.J., Earl Spurgin

Earl W. Spurgin

The Historical Dictionary of Ethics covers a very broad range of ethical topics, including ethical theories, historical periods, historical figures, applied ethics, ethical issues, ethical concepts, non-Western approaches, and related disciplines. Harry J. Gensler and Earl W. Spurgin tackle such issues as abortion, capital punishment, stemcell research, and terrorism while also explaining key theories like utilitarianism, natural law, social contract, and virtue ethics. This reference provides a complete overview of ethics through a detailed chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 200 cross-referenced dictionary entries, including bioethics, business ethics, Aristotle, Hobbes, autonomy, confidentiality, Confucius, and psychology.


Ethics: Contemporary Readings, Edited By Harry J. Gensler, Earl W. Spurgin, And James C. Swindal, Harry Gensler, S.J., Earl Spurgin, James Swindal Apr 2013

Ethics: Contemporary Readings, Edited By Harry J. Gensler, Earl W. Spurgin, And James C. Swindal, Harry Gensler, S.J., Earl Spurgin, James Swindal

Earl W. Spurgin

No abstract provided.


Can Businesses Be Too Good? Applying Susan Wolf's 'Moral Saints' To Businesses, Earl Spurgin Dec 2010

Can Businesses Be Too Good? Applying Susan Wolf's 'Moral Saints' To Businesses, Earl Spurgin

Earl W. Spurgin

Susan Wolf famously argues that moral sainthood is not an ideal for which persons should aim because it requires one to cultivate moral virtues to the exclusion of significant, nonmoral interests, and skills. I find Wolf's argument compelling in her context of persons, and seek to demonstrate that it remains so when the context is expanded to businesses. I argue that just as moral perfection precludes individuals from challenging societal norms and traditions in ways that benefit us, moral perfection prevents businesses from challenging norms and traditions in ways that can promote positive social change. I also describe, and respond …


Unfettered Or Tempered Capitalism? How Best To Promote Virtuous Characters, Earl Spurgin Jun 2007

Unfettered Or Tempered Capitalism? How Best To Promote Virtuous Characters, Earl Spurgin

Earl W. Spurgin

The article reviews the book "The Bourgeois Virtues: Ethics for an Age of Commerce," by Deirdre N. McCloskey


Looking For Answers In All The Wrong Places, Earl Spurgin Mar 2004

Looking For Answers In All The Wrong Places, Earl Spurgin

Earl W. Spurgin

In recent years, many business ethicists have raised problems with the "ethics pays" credo. Despite these problems, many continue to hold it. I argue that support for the credo leads business ethicists away from a potentially fruitful approach found in Hume's moral philosophy. I begin by demonstrating that attempts to support the credo fail because proponents are trying to provide an answer to the "Why be moral?" question that is based on rational self-interest. Then, I show that Hume's sentiments-based moral theory provides an alternative to the credo that points toward a more fruitful approach to business ethics. Along the …