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Amazon.co.uk Review
This book is great fun. Many of the dilemmas are obviously profound, others appear to be entertaining, trivial diversions, but because they are all short and easily digestible the temptation is to read the whole of the first part quickly and without regard for the fact that each one captures a real and difficult ethical dilemma worth mulling over. The best way to use the book is to take the dilemmas slowly, one by one (or at most, group by group) and to try to resolve them for yourself. Cohen tells us that the discussion section can be read or left alone according to our discretion but reading it should reveal why the seemingly trivial "little things" are, in Sherlock Holmes words, "infinitely the most important". --Larry Brown --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Review
'101 Ethical Dilemmas ... is a chatty, jokey journey through philosophical dilemmas ancient and modern ... the philosophy is the real thing.' – New Scientist
'101 Ethical Dilemmas is the natural sequal to that wonderful book [101 Philosophy Problems] ...it's entertainment that trains you to think more intelligently about discerning right and wrong and about how you choose to act.' – Fish.co.uk
'Martin Cohen does a good job of weaving some intriguing stories and classic philosophical ideas and arguments into the discussions.' – The Times Higher Education Supplement
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Customer Reviews
Saving philosophy from dry abstractions Cohen's enlightening, irreverent style dismisses any set rules. Instead he balances the arguments and highlights the flaws of ancient and modern philosophers including Plato, Socrates and Hobbes. The problems are not solved - it is up to the reader to make up their own mind what is the right answer - or even if there is one. Cohen offers up his own reasoning, which you may or may not agree with, which helps to demystify the intimidating field of ethical philosophy.
Cohen is especially good in dragging ancient dilemmas into a modern context. Is torture wrong when interrogating terrorists? Should we bomb America for their terrorist training camps? Who is to blame for serial killers - society, the parents, themselves? When is it OK to design babies? The debates are real enough to create passion and provoke thought, but benefit from the gloss on previous philosophical debates. Perhaps the most intriguing are the "little dilemmas" of deceit. For example if an internet shopping site mistakenly thinks you have paid for a product when you haven't -do you keep quiet and accept or do you send the money anyway? I think you know what the writers of ethicalmatters.co.uk would say!
The book starts with the warning that it is not a guidebook for ethical living. What it does do is plant hundreds of more ethical questions in your mind, fulfilling its role as a light hearted, lively introduction to the subject of ethical philosophy. It may not make you a better person or resolve all your problems, but it's a great work out for your brain!
The dilemmas are very mixed both in their subject matter and their importance: from minor issues about whether it's wrong to throw away someone else's junk mail, to the likes of slavery, warfare and cannibalism. This keeps the book interesting throughout.
I found the whole experience an enjoyable one and this is a book to dip into when you've got time to sit and think. Or perhaps better still to talk about in a group.
I have to say that at times I felt the book over-intellectualised (apologies if that's not a real word) some of the issues and played down the value of feelings and instinct which, I think, are also valuable indicators when dealing with ethics. Obviously the point of the book is to make you think about your gut reactions to these dilemmas but it left me wondering whether by thinking too much about them, it might turn some of the more important problems into thought games. I certainly found myself going round in circles sometimes before I realised I'd gone off the main point and become distracted by some minor side-issue. I'm sure a lot of people would disagree with me on that one and maybe in itself, that's dilemma 102... by thinking too much about ethical dilemmas do we run the risk of trivialising them, or over-complicating them ?
Anyway, it's well worth reading if you're the sort of person who likes to ask and think about difficult questions, and to wonder why you believe and feel the way you do.
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