James Rachels

James Rachels was an American moral philosopher best known for The Elements of Moral Philosophy, a clear introduction to ethical theories that became a widely used textbook and was later revised by his son, Stuart Rachels. Born in Columbus, Georgia, he took his doctorate at the University of North Carolina and taught at several universities before spending the last twenty-six years of his career at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His 1975 article 'Active and Passive Euthanasia' argued that the difference between killing and letting die carries no moral weight in itself, a direct challenge to accepted medical ethics. In Created from Animals he argued that Darwin's theory undermines the belief that human beings have a special dignity setting them apart from other animals, and he defended vegetarianism on moral grounds.

Key ideas

• Killing and letting die are not morally different in themselves, so if passive euthanasia is allowed, active euthanasia can be too.
• Cultural relativism fails: the fact that cultures disagree about morality does not show there is no truth about it.
• At a minimum, morality means guiding one's conduct by reason while giving equal weight to the interests of everyone affected.
• After Darwin, how we treat a being should depend on its own characteristics, not on its species (moral individualism).
• Causing animals pain without a good enough reason is wrong, which supports a case for vegetarianism.

Major works

• 'Active and Passive Euthanasia' (1975)
• The Elements of Moral Philosophy (1986)
• The End of Life: Euthanasia and Morality (1986)
• Created from Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism (1990)
• Can Ethics Provide Answers? (1997)
• Problems from Philosophy (2005)

In the Book corner

• The Elements of Moral Philosophy 1986 · Beginner
  One of the most widely used introductions to ethics. Rachels begins by asking what morality is, then examines a series of views…

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