Books by James Rachels

James Rachels was a pioneer in applied ethics, who shaped the fields of bioethics and animal rights. This work brings together his fourteen essays that address the relationship between morality and reason, the duty to relieve human and animal suffering, the independence of morality from religion, the rejection of relativism and egoism, and more.

A collection of 15 essays which discuss the nature and limits of moral reasoning. It argues that moral philosophy can subvert received opinion and replace it with something better. Issues such as euthanasia, the rights of animals, privacy and affirmative action are discussed.

An account of the relevance of Darwinism to ethics. The author explains the development of Darwin's ideas, and how natural selection can paradoxically foster altruistic rather than egoistic tendencies, setting out the implications for conventional religion and ethics.