Quotes from book
The Elements of Moral Philosophy

Name: The Elements of Moral Philosophy
Author: James Rachels

The Elements of Moral Philosophy is a 1986 ethics textbook by the philosophers James Rachels and Stuart Rachels. It explains a number of moral theories and topics, including cultural relativism, subjectivism, divine command theory, ethical egoism, social contract theory, utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, and deontology. The book uses real-life examples in explaining the theories.

“We should care about the interests of other people for the same reason we care about our own interests; for their needs and desires are comparable to our own.”

James Rachels book The Elements of Moral Philosophy

The Elements of Moral Philosophy (McGraw-Hill, 1999), p. 95

“Ethical Egoism advocates that each of us divide the world into two categories of people—ourselves and all the rest—and that we regard the interests of those in the first group as more important than the interests of those in the second group. But each of us can ask, what is the difference between myself and others that justifies placing myself in this special category? Am I more intelligent? Do I enjoy my life more? Are my accomplishments greater? Do I have needs or abilities that are so different from the needs and abilities of others? What is it that makes me so special? Failing an answer, it turns out that Ethical Egoism is an arbitrary doctrine, in the same way that racism is arbitrary.”

James Rachels book The Elements of Moral Philosophy

The Elements of Moral Philosophy (1999), p. 95

“Our triumphs seem hollow unless we have friends to share them, and our failures are made bearable by their understanding.”

James Rachels book The Elements of Moral Philosophy

The Elements of Moral Philosophy (1999), p. 183