In a world confronted by conflicting moral beliefs and values, the question is often raised, 'Can science help us to solve our moral problems?' Many people today believe that moral principles are derived from religion. Their critics point out that the great religions often vehemently disagree about what is good, bad, right, and wrong. On the other side of a great divide stand many who say that there are no ethical standards at all and that morality is merely a question of personal taste or cultural relativity. This volume presents a unique collection of authors who generally maintain that science can help us make wise choices and that an increase in scientific knowledge can help modify our ethical values and bring new ethical principles into social awareness.Among the thirty contributors to this volume are distinguished scientists and philosophers, including Arthur Caplan, Mario Bunge, Vern Bullough, Thomas Szasz, Scott Lilienfeld, Susan Haack, and others. Among the wide-ranging topics discussed are bio-genetic engineering, stem cell research, organ transplants, human enhancement, abortion, euthanasia, psychiatry, and psychotherapy. Paul Kurtz maintains that there is a modified form of naturalistic ethics that is directly relevant to both science and ethics and provides guidelines for our moral choices.
Paul Kurtz (1925-2012), professor emeritus of philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, was the author or editor of more than fifty books, including The Transcendental Temptation, The Courage to Become, and Embracing the Power of Humanism, plus nine hundred articles and reviews. He was the founder and chairman of Prometheus Books, the Institute for Science and Human Values, the Center for Inquiry, the Council for Secular Humanism, and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He appeared on many major television and radio talk shows and has lectured at universities worldwide.
Introduction; Bioethics and Stem Cell Research; The Embryo in Stem Cell Research and Abortion; Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide; Organ Transplants, Sexuality and Human Enhancement; Deterrence and Capital Punishment; Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Science, Religion and Ethics; Naturalistic Ethics; Biology, Social Science, Common Sense.
