Moral status : obligations to persons and other living things /

Warren, a philosophy professor, asserts that we need to understand, come to consensus about, and use moral status as a foundation for solving moral issues. Part 1 is a critical analysis of the limits of unicriterial intrinsic property theories and relational theories for determining moral status. Warren argues for a stepwise multicriterial analysis of moral status based on seven principles. She describes each of these--respect for life, anticruelty, agent's rights, human rights, ecological properties, interspecies relationships, and transitivity of respect--and provides examples of the application of the principles, noting that each must be understood and applied in conjunction with others. Warren uses the latter part of her book to demonstrate the application of multicriterial analysis to the issues of euthanasia, abortion, and animal rights. Though individuals may disagree with her conclusions, the logic of the application of the principles she sets forth is clear. Her theory should prompt discussion and help clarify the concept of moral status. Her multicriterial approach for determining moral status has the potential to assist in the struggle to handle the complex moral issues prevalent today. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals. N. I. Whitman; Lynchburg College