Moral Status Obligations to Persons and Other Living Things [Paperback]

Mary Anne Warren investigates a theoretical question that is at the center of practical and professional ethics: what are the criteria for having moral status? That is, what does it take to be an entity towards which people have moral considerations? Warren argues that no single property will do as a sole criterion, and puts forward seven basic principles as criteria. She then applies these principles to three controversial moral issues: voluntary euthanasia, abortion, and the moral status of animals.

Part I: An Account of Moral Status
1. The Concept of Moral Status
2. Reverence for Life
3. Sentience and the Utilitarian Calculus
4. Personhood and Moral Rights
5. The Relevance of Relationships
6. A Multi-Criterial Analysis of Moral Status
Part II: Selected Applications
7. Applying the Principles
8. Euthanasia and the Moral Status of Human Beings
9. Abortion and Human Rights
10. Animal Rights and Human Limitations
11. Conclusion
Bibliography. Index.

Her theory should prompt discussion and help clarify the concept of moral status. Her multicriterial approach for determining moral status has the potential to assist in the struggle to handle the complex moral issues prevalent today. --Choice

Her theory should prompt discussion and help clarify the concept of moral status. Her multicriterial approach for determining moral status has the potential to assist in the struggle to handle the complex moral issues prevalent today. --Choice