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Ethical Life

Its Natural and Social Histories
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( 22 ratings, 2 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Ethical Life by Webb Keane delves into the intersection of moral values and human behaviour, exploring how ethical considerations shape everyday life across different cultures. Drawing on examples from anthropology, the author examines how people navigate moral dilemmas and the ways in which cultural contexts influence ethical choices. The book offers insights into the fundamental question of what it means to live an ethical life.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this thought-provoking exploration if you're intrigued by the intersection of ethics and psychology. It delves into the ways our everyday lives are shaped by moral beliefs, connecting philosophical insights with real-world social practices. Perfect for those who appreciate deep dives into the essence of human values and morality.

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The human propensity to take an ethical stance toward oneself and others is found in every known society, yet we also know that values taken for granted in one society can contradict those in another. Does ethical life arise from human nature itself? Is it a universal human trait? Or is it a product of one's cultural and historical context? Webb Ke

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The human propensity to take an ethical stance toward oneself and others is found in every known society, yet we also know that values taken for granted in one society can contradict those in another. Does ethical life arise from human nature itself? Is it a universal human trait? Or is it a product of one's cultural and historical context?

Webb Keane offers a new approach to the empirical study of ethical life that reconciles these questions, showing how ethics arise at the intersection of human biology and social dynamics. Drawing on the latest findings in psychology, conversational interaction, ethnography, and history, Ethical Life takes readers from inner city America to Samoa and the Inuit Arctic to reveal how we are creatures of our biology as well as our historyโ€”and how our ethical lives are contingent on both.

Keane looks at Melanesian theories of mind and the training of Buddhist monks, and discusses important social causes such as the British abolitionist movement and American feminism. He explores how styles of child rearing, notions of the person, and moral codes in different communities elaborate on certain basic human tendencies while suppressing or ignoring others.

Certain to provoke debate, Ethical Life presents an entirely new way of thinking about ethics, morals, and the factors that shape them.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Ethical Life by Webb Keane has been praised for its insightful combination of philosophy with natural and social sciences, offering a rich and original exploration of ethical and moral systems. It is described as extraordinary in its scope and theoretical depth, providing new insights and challenges both for those in the humanities and social sciences, and for scholars in moral philosophy. The book presents ethics as an empirical and socially ingrained phenomenon, making it a significant contribution beyond the field of anthropology.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691176260

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 11 April 2017

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Audience: Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 454g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Webb Keane is the George Herbert Mead Collegiate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. He is the author of Christian Moderns: Freedom and Fetish in the Mission Encounter and Signs of Recognition: Powers and Hazards of Representation in an Indonesian Society.

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