“On the theoretical issue of our pluralistic age–whether we can continue to believe in absolute value–Robert Kane has written the most helpful discussion I know. It is clear, cogent, and above all, convincing.”–Huston Smith, Author of Huston Smith: Essays on the World’s Religions
Offers hope for resolution
“With impressive erudition and lucid logic,
Kane shows that rational, intelligent people can aspire to objectivity
not just in ethics but in diverse areas of value conflict, including politics,
art, education, and religion. Remarkable for its daring, Through the
Moral Maze offers hope for resolution in moral debates too often marred
by skepticism and intolerance.”–George Graham, Chair of the
Department of Philosophy, University of Alabama, Birmingham
Highly readable, wide-ranging,
and philosophically rich
“Robert Kane’s Through the Moral Maze is highly readable, wide-ranging,
and philosophically rich. Fleshing out the Kantian idea of persons as ends,
Kane develops a unique moral theory as he appraises contemporary culture
from its foundational assumptions to current trends in environmental ethics,
feminist theory, and multiculturalism. Through the Moral Maze should
be a component of any inquiry prompted by questions of value, religion,
and cultural criticism.”–Robert Audi, Chair of the Department of Philosophy,
University of Nebraska
From our current political firestorms to high-profile sexual scandals
to countless “family values” debates, we are confronted with questions
of ethics each day. The erosion of shared beliefs about right and wrong;
the rift between private and public morality; the uncertain fate of religion-these
are a just a sampling of the overwhelming tensions plaguing our ever-changing,
fragmented society.
Kane, a respected professor of philosophy, lecturer and author, offers
a groundbreaking method for approaching core questions of moral and behavioral
standards. As Kane asserts, “This book is written for readers of all ages
and backgrounds troubled by conflicting points of view on moral and spiritual
matters, who may wonder as a consequence about the truth of their own beliefs
and ask what values can be believed and passed on to their children.” We
should not abandon this
vital quest for absolute values, Kane argues; we must, however, abandon
our old ways of thinking.
Through The Moral Maze draws insights from the classic Western theories along with less familiar philosophical and religious traditions of the East and West. With illuminating consequences, Kane applies his formula to contemporary controversies in social ethics, public and private morality, politics and democracy, religion, multiculturalism, the environment, feminism and education.
For philosophers, students, and any serious reader searching for constant,
universal values in an evolving intellectual landscape, Through The
Moral Maze provides a guide to maintaining the standards of a morally
and spiritually productive life.
ROBERT HILARY KANE is professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of Free Will and Values among other philosophical writings. The recipient of more than a dozen awards for teaching excellence, including the Friar Society Centennial Teaching Fellowship at the University of Texas, Kane writes on ethical issues.