Human Kindness and the Smell of Warm Croissants

March 15, 2015

In this thoughtful elementary guide to ethical reasoning, French moral philosopher Ogien (director of research in moral philosophy, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France) seeks to kill two birds with one tome: to introduce the general reader to the nature of moral intuitions and the key principles of moral reasoning and to demonstrate the value of a new approach to ethical research known as experimental moral philosophy. The book consists of two parts: a collection of 19 ethical thought experiments that have engaged moral philosophers of the last half century, followed by a slightly more technical exposition of the moral methodology that undergirds much contemporary ethical philosophy. Ogien's reasoning and exposition is very concise, and the focus on thought experiments (the runaway trolley; the violinist plugged into your back--all staples of introductory ethics classes) will be appreciated by those wanting a thought-provoking read. VERDICT Moral-dilemma scenarios offer a useful entry into ethical reasoning, and experimental moral philosophy helps bring empirical data from sociology and psychology to the table. A valuable if somewhat narrowly focused entry into a crowded field.--Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2015
Would a judge be justified in executing one innocent person to protect an entire neighborhood from an incensed mob? With questions such as this, Ogien draws his readers into a sustained reflection on ethics. Exploring real-life moral dilemmas and entirely hypothetical thought experiments, readers identify issues illuminated by empirical research into how people form their often emotion-laden moral intuitions. Readers also trace the competing chains of logic for applying and interpreting these intuitions. Especially under scrutiny are the contrasting ethical philosophies of those who rely on fixed principles as the key to moral conundrums and of those who calculate consequences to unravel those conundrums. Ogien exposes the contrast between a minimalist (Western-style) ethics that maximizes individual autonomy and a maximalist (non-Western) ethics that enforces stronger sense of community and proscribes many apparently victimless crimes. Rejecting as misguided the attempt to establish a philosophical foundation for a universal ethics, Ogien calls for a humane pluralism of ethical perspectives. That very pluralism ensures that readers will sometimes part company with the author over ethical issues he discusses (such as abortion, for instance)but not before learning a good deal from him about what it means to think seriously about ethics. A lucid translation of a wide-ranging intellectual foray.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)