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In Natural Ethical Facts William Casebeer argues that we can articulate a fully naturalized ethical theory using concepts from evolutionary biology and cognitive science, and that we can study moral cognition just as we study other forms of cognition. His goal is to show that we have "softly fixed" human natures, that these natures are evolved, and that our lives go well or badly depending on how we satisfy the functional demands of these natures. Natural Ethical Facts is a comprehensive examination of what a plausible moral science would look like. Casebeer begins by discussing the nature of ethics and the possible relationship between science and ethics. He then addresses David Hume's naturalistic fallacy and G. E. Moore's open-question argument, drawing on the work of John Dewey and W. V. O. Quine. He then proposes a functional account of ethics, offering corresponding biological and moral descriptions. Discussing in detail the neural correlates of moral cognition, he argues that neural networks can be used to model ethical function. He then discusses the impact his views of moral epistemology and ontology will have on traditional ethical theory and moral education, concluding that there is room for other moral theories as long as they take into consideration the functional aspect of ethics; the pragmatic neo-Aristotelian virtue theory he proposes thus serves as a moral "big tent." Finally, he addresses objections to ethical naturalism that may arise, and calls for a reconciliation of the sciences and the humanities. "Living well," Casebeer writes, "depends upon reweaving our ethical theories into the warp and woof of our scientific heritage, attending to the myriad consequences such a project will have for the way we live our lives and the manner in which we structure our collective moral institutions."

The rhetoric of evil has been a mainstay in international affairs, although President Bush's use of the phrase 'axis of evil' has elevated its prominence. Few, however, have attempted an analytically defensible definition of evil as it relates to international events. I attempt this, identifying commonalities that unite historical deployment of the term: an evaluation of evil cuts across the traditional ethical axes of evaluation of 'person' (virtue theory), 'nature of action' (deontology), and 'consequence' (utilitarianism). This analysis will help identify possible roles that the concept of evil plays in our international linguistic economy and what purposes it serves. I briefly discuss these roles (motivational, counterforce, divisional, and evaluational). Clarifying the meaning of the term evil and its usage in global political discourse will highlight the pitfalls that accompany the use of such rhetoric in international relations, which include forestalling possibilities of redemptive reform.

As non-state armed groups gain greater access to resources and networks through global interconnectivity, they have come to dominate the terrain of illegal trade in drugs, guns, and humans. Warlords Rising arms those confronting the mounting non-state challenge by delivering an innovative, interdisciplinary framework of analysis designed to improve understanding of non-state adversaries in order to affect their development and performance

"March 2004." ; Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-102) ; Mode of access: Internet.