Background
Schmidtz, David J. was born on September 18, 1955 in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada. Came to the United States, 1983. Son of Leonard Herman and Cecilia Schmidtz.
(The issue of social welfare and individual responsibility...)
The issue of social welfare and individual responsibility has become a topic of international public debate in recent years as politicians around the world now question the legitimacy of state-funded welfare programs. David Schmidtz and Robert Goodin debate the ethical merits of individual versus collective responsibility for welfare. David Schmidtz argues that social welfare policy should prepare people for responsible adulthood rather than try to make that unnecessary. Robert Goodin argues against the individualization of welfare policy and expounds the virtues of collective responsibility.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521564611/?tag=2022091-20
( Is it rational to be moral? How do rationality and mora...)
Is it rational to be moral? How do rationality and morality fit together with being human? These questions are at the heart of David Schmidtz's exploration of the connections between rationality and morality. This inquiry leads into both metaethics and rational choice theory, as Schmidtz develops conceptions of what it is to be moral and what it is to be rational. He defends a fairly expansive conception of rational choice, considering how ends as well as means can be rationally chosen and explaining the role of self-imposed constraints in a rational life plan. His moral theory is dualistic, ranging over social structure as well as personal conduct and building both individual and collective rationality into its rules of recognition for morals. To the "why be moral" question, Schmidtz responds that being moral is rational, but he does not assume we have reasons to be rational. Instead, Schmidtz argues that being moral is rational in a particular way and that beings like us in situations like ours have reasons to be rational in just that way. This approach allows him to identify decisive reasons to be moral; at the same time, it explains why immorality is as prevalent as it is. This book thus offers a set of interesting and realistic conclusions about how morality fits into the lives of humanly rational agents operating in an institutional context like our own.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691029180/?tag=2022091-20
(Why be moral? Philosophers have wanted to answer this que...)
Why be moral? Philosophers have wanted to answer this question for well over two thousand years, ever since Plato wrote on the subject. The question turned out to be as frustrating as it is compelling. A proper philosophical answer begins by saying what morality is, and what it means to be moral. A wise philosophical answer also steps back to ask what sort of being wants an answer. Why are we asking? Who wants to know? What do we want, and in what way might being moral serve our purposes? What difference does it make whether we have any reason to be moral? Do we have reason to care whether other people have any reason to be moral? Why? In this book, David Schmidtz presents elements of a theory of humanly rational choice: why we have reason to be rational, why being rational about the big picture seldom involves maximizing our payoff on a day to day basis, how rational agents choose ends, and why rational agents choose to respect and care about other people. Schmidtz also presents elements of a theory of morality: how being moral connects to what is good for oneself and to what is good for others, how it connects to following rules and understanding what the people around us expect from us, and how it connects to the heights of human aspiration and flourishing.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UUQ7D3Q/?tag=2022091-20
(Extensively revised and expanded in this second edition, ...)
Extensively revised and expanded in this second edition, Environmental Ethics: What Really Matters, What Really Works examines morality from an environmental perspective. Featuring seventy-one accessible selections--from classic articles to examples of cutting-edge original research--it addresses both theory and practice. Asking what really matters, the first section of the book explores the abstract ideas of human value and value in nature. The second section turns to the question of what it would take to solve our real-world environmental problems. Moving beyond the "hype," it presents authoritative essays on applying environmental ethics to the issues that matter right now. The book is enhanced by chapter introductions ("Questions for Reflection and Discussion") that offer brief summaries and questions for further analysis and class discussion. Ideal for undergraduate courses in environmental ethics, environmental philosophy, and environmental studies, Environmental Ethics, Second Edition, is also a helpful resource for graduate students and professors.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199793514/?tag=2022091-20
Schmidtz, David J. was born on September 18, 1955 in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada. Came to the United States, 1983. Son of Leonard Herman and Cecilia Schmidtz.
Bachelor, Calgary (Alberta, Canada) University, 1982. Master of Arts, University Arizona, 1985. Doctor of Philosophy, University Arizona, 1988.
Assistant to associate professor philosophy Yale University, New Haven, 1988-1994. Professor philosophy University Arizona, Tucson, since 1995. Member advisory board Udall Center Public Policy, Tucson, since 1998.
Invited speaker Convocation World Leaders, United Nations, New York City, 2001, Joint Congress/Senate Staff Workshop, Alexandria, Virginia, 1998, Arizona Humanities Council, 1998-2000.
(The issue of social welfare and individual responsibility...)
( Is it rational to be moral? How do rationality and mora...)
(Extensively revised and expanded in this second edition, ...)
(Why be moral? Philosophers have wanted to answer this que...)
Member American Philosophical Association.
Married Elizabeth Willott, April 23, 1991.