The Puzzle of Ethics

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View books by Peter Vardy.

treat with caution - Rated
For AS students Vardy enters into too much conjecture. A student could easily be duped into imagining that Vardy's own conjecture is academic scholarship. This is especially the case when Vardy hypoyhesises about natural law and human sexuality.
Much of this book is Vardy summarising the work of other philosophers and doing so with his own conjecture often straying from the point. The AS student might struggle to pick out the key points of Aristotle and Macintyre on virtue ethics for example.
It needs to be read very carefully and with some prior knowledge.

An Excelent Introduction - Rated
This book is designed primarily for A Level students in ethics. The Chapters are easily and clearly broken down, and Vardy sensibly divides up the topics into 'Theoretical' and 'Applied Ethics.' All the principle ethical theories are traced, fro, Plato and Aristotle, to Kant, Bentham, and Fletcher. The Applied Ethics includes burning issues of the moment; Abortion and Euthanasia, War, Human Rights, and Environmental Ethics. Each of these chapters is of a similar length and Vardy's great skill is in giving a concise and easy to understand summary of what are often complicated theories. An example would be the chapter on 'Kant and the Moral Law,' where he successfully picks through the jargon and heavy vocabulary of the 'Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals' to give one of the best outlines I have seen.

In short, a highly recommended book for students or the interested reader.

Read this book! - Rated
Vardy is a fantastic lecturer of philosophy and ethics at Heythrop College, University of London and his passion for the subject is evident in this book. He manages to balance detailed theory with and interesting read, addressing up-to-date issues in e.g. medical and sexual ethics, ideal for the A level student who wishes to increase their breadth and depth of knowledge in ethics. Also a good read for anyone interested in reading about ethics and morality but is unsure where to start, no prior knowledge is assumed! I can recommend all of his books-but this especially is an invaluable addition to any thinker's library!

An excellent introduction to ethics. - Rated
This is a powerful and easy to comprehend introduction to ethics. Ideal for all who are thinking of or who have started to study ethics. A clear and concise book that challenges the mind.Greatly reccomended!

Excellent; suitable for people with some ethical knowledge. - Rated
An excellent book at about A' Level standard but easily digested by less experienced readers of ethics.