MODERN ETHICS

IN 77 ARGUMENTS

A Stone Reader

Edited by Peter Catapano

and Simon Critchley

BUY THE BOOK: Amazon

“No previous knowledge of philosophy is required to follow the writers’ arguments. . . . Overall, the volume asks readers to examine their own contexts and biases for making ethical decisions and judging the behavior of others. An accessible volume of thoughtful, concise contributions.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“The articles cover a range of issues, both theoretical and practical. . . . Readers will find much diversity in the answers offered, and this diversity does not disappear when policy issues arise. . . . Highly recommended for anyone interested in the current issues of contemporary moral philosophy.”
—Library Journal

Building on the popular success of the New York Times’ series The Stone and the publication of The Stone Reader: Modern Philosophy in 133 Arguments, MODERN ETHICS is a subway-friendly, portable reader featuring 77 essays from our best and most accessible thinkers, serving as an able guide to the ethical quandaries of contemporary life.

This is not merely a slimmed-down compendium of topical essays from The Stone Reader, but a carefully selected subset of that larger anthology further supplemented by a grouping of more than thirty new essays—from the likes of Edward O. Wilson, Paul Boghossian, Gary Cutting, Chris Lebron, Jeff McMahan, Amy Allen, Louise Antony, Peter Singer, and Frans de Waal.

This up-to-the minute collection explores questions of morality (“Are We Ready for a ‘Morality Pill’?”), religion (“Does It Matter Whether God Exists?”), race (“Dear White America”), family (“The End of Marriage”), gender (“A Feminist Kant”), human nature (“Evolution and Our Inner Conflict”), citizenship (“Can Refugees Have Human Rights?”), and even the often-contentious topic of diet (“When Vegans Won’t Compromise”). While maintaining The Stone column’s steadfast devotion to clarity, brevity, and integrity, these essays reflect an astonishingly broad range of viewpoints, writing styles, and rhetorical strategies.

“The Stone Reader suggests what philosophy in the world can be. . . . The book covers a huge range of philosophical thinking across a variety of subjects and genres, but in manageable form.”
—Nausicaa Renner, The Nation

Long responsible for provoking philosophical discourse beyond the ivory tower, The Stone weds philosophy and journalism in their shared pursuit of, and loyalty to, the truth: a particularly urgent endeavor in our current moment. As New York Times editor Peter Catapano expresses in the introduction, “What we hope to have produced is a new text that will be useful both inside and outside the classroom—in the academy and on the road, as it were, whether it is the road to enlightenment, or somewhere else entirely.”

ABOUT THE EDITORS
Peter Catapano has been an opinion editor at The New York Times since 2005, where he has developed and edited several online series, including The Stone, Home Fires—which featured writing by US military veterans—and Anxiety, a multidimensional exploration of panic, worry, and fear. He was recognized for his work in pioneering blogs and series for The New York Times with a Publisher’s Award in 2008.
Simon Critchley is a best-selling author and the Hans Jonas Professor at the New School for Social Research. His books include Very Little . . . Almost Nothing, Infinitely Demanding, The Book of Dead Philosophers, The Faith of the Faithless, Bowie, Memory Theatre, and Suicide.

TITLE: MODERN ETHICS IN 77 ARGUMENTS: A Stone Reader
EDITORS: Peter Catapano and Simon Critchley
PUBLICATION DATE: August 22, 2018
PRICE: $28.95 hardcover
PAGES: 464
ISBN: 978-1-63149-298-3 

For further information, please contact Cordelia Calvert, Publicist, Liveright Publishing Corporation, at 212-790-7244 or ccalvert@wwnorton.com.