MAY CONTAIN MARKUP

Derek Wright

Derek Wright's work on the psychology of moral behavior delves into the intricate mechanisms and underlying motivations that drive human ethical decision-making. Through his research, Wright sheds light on how individuals navigate complex moral dilemmas, exploring the interplay between cognitive processes, emotions, and societal influences. By examining the factors that shape our moral compass, Wright's insights contribute to a deeper understanding of human behavior and morality. His work prompts critical reflection on the intricacies of ethical decision-making and offers valuable perspectives on the complexities of human nature.

London. PELICAN. 1971. 287p.

USED BOOK. MAY CONTAIN MARK-UP

By John Leale

“'Saint,' said a boy as they were having a walk together. 'If you went home andfound that a bad man was in your house, what would you do about it?'

'I would try to make friends with him,' replied the saint.

'Yes, but supposing that he didn't want to make friends with you, what would you do then?” asked the boy.

'I would go on trying to make friends with him,' said the saint.

'Yes, but supposing he stamped his foot and thumped the table with his fist, and said: "Saint, I won't be friends with you." What would you do then?*

'I would ask the Good Lord what I ought to do.'

…..

London. The Epworth Press. 1957. 104p.

By Patrick Devlin

From the cover: The limits of individual freedom within society-the boundaries of the public and the private in the realm of morals, and the point at which the law may e n t e ra r e the core concern of these seven essays by a prominent British jurist. Linked by their interest in the con- nection between morality and the law, they consider in detail the relation of moral law to various branches of criminal law, the quasi- criminal law, the law of tort, the laws of contract and of marriage.

For the force of its commands and prohibitions morality still depends heavily on religion, but in our secular society law may no longer be justified by religious belief. The law, Lord Devlin argues, must be concerned solely with the facts of common morality, rather than with any philosophical or religious conception of how it ought to be; what the law-maker has to ascertain is not the "true" belief. but the common belief; those who serve the law have a duty to defend "the law as it is, morality as it is. freedom as it is--none of them perfect, but the things that their society has got, and must not let go."

Lord Devlin disputes the contention in the Wolfenden report on homosexuality that there is a realm of private morality which lies outside the law. In either case, he asserts. the argument depends upon the definition of the private and the public realm. In this regard he considers the doctrine of John Stuart Mill contained in On Liberty, from which many arguments on public and private freedom derive.

London. Oxford University Press. 1965. 149p. CONTAINS MARK-UP.

Hare has written a clear, brief, and readable introduction to ethics which looks at all the fundamental problems of the subject.

Hare describes his book as "an introduction to ethics" for beginners (p. v), but it is more ambitious than that. Prospective readers should not take the author's modest claim too seriously, for the book is not an "introduction." It is a perceptive contribution toward the solution of many fundamental problems of ethics.

The book is very compact (Hare informs that the original material was reduced to half its length), and it deals with so many specific issues that the contents do not lend themselves to brief summary. This is especially true of Part II, called "Good," and Part III, called "Ought," where a wealth of illuminating material is laid out before the reader like so many pearls, with not a string on which they may be strung. But in the light of what Hare regards as "one of the chief purposes of ethical inquiry" (p. I97), which is to show how moral decisions are justified, this material, however valuable in its own right, may be regarded, for the purposes of a review, as serving a tactical purpose.

By R. M Hare

London. Clarendon Press. 1952.204p.

By Friedrich Nietzsche.

Vilified and adored, the works of Nietzsche wreaked havoc with 20th century philosophers, his then far out ideas used by politicians, tyrants, worshippers of the free, and the like to justify their lofty aims, and for some, their unmitigated adoration of violence. Some how, God was lost, perhaps forever. Or perhaps was transformed into the antichrist.

Harrow and Heston Classic Reprint. 1885.