Love Your Neighbor and Yourself: A Jewish Approach to Modern Personal Ethics

Front Cover
Jewish Publication Society, 2003 - Religion - 366 pages

A leading ethicist suggests ways to take the moral high road in one?s personal life.


In this topically relevant book on modern ethical issues, Dorff focuses on personal ethics, Judaism?s distinctive way of understanding human nature, our role in life, and what we should strive to be, both as individuals and as members of a community. Dorff addresses specific moral issues that affect our personal lives: privacy, particularly at work as it is affected by the Internet and other modern technologies; sex in and outside of marriage; family matters, such as adoption, surrogate motherhood, stepfamilies, divorce, parenting, and family violence; homosexuality; justice, mercy, and forgiveness; and charitable acts and social action.

From inside the book

Contents

Judaism and Ethics
1
THE VARIETY OF ETHICAL THEORIES
3
CONSEQUENTIALISM
6
DEONTOLOGY
8
VIRTUE OR CHARACTER ETHICS
11
JEWISH ETHICS
15
JEWISH MORALS
19
THE HUMAN BEING
20
SHAMING ANOTHER
183
THE ISSUE OF MESIRAH
185
DEFAMING GOD
187
THE SCOPE OF PARENTAL PREROGATIVES
188
MAKING ONES WAY OUT OF AN ABUSIVE SITUATION
190
THE ABUSER
192
MAKING AMENDS
196
THE ROLE OF RABBIS EDUCATORS AND LAY LEADERS
200

THE FAMILY
26
EDUCATION
28
THE COMMUNITY
29
SOCIAL ACTION AND THE MESSIANIC FUTURE
31
Privacy
33
THE VALUES AND CONCEPTS MOTIVATING A CONCERN FOR PRIVACY
35
CONTRASTING AMERICAN AND JEWISH INTERESTS IN PRIVACY
38
INTRUSION
40
THE JEWISH PRINCIPLES GOVERNING INTRUSION
41
SPYING ON EMPLOYEES
43
VIDEOTAPING AND PHOTOGRAPHING
45
OVERRIDING PRIVACY IN THE NAME OF NATIONAL SECURITY
46
PRIVACY AND DIVERSITY VERSUS SAFETY
48
DISCLOSURE
50
EXCEPTIONS TO THE BAN AGAINST DISCLOSURE
52
PROPOSALS FOR PROTECTING AGAINST INTRUSION AND DISCLOSURE
66
CONFIDENTIALITY AS A VALUE
68
DUTY TO PREVENT TEMPTATION
70
SANCTIONS
71
This Is My Beloved This Is My Friend Sex and the Family
73
FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND VALUES
74
SIX FUNDAMENTAL VALUES
76
SEX WITHIN MARRIAGE
82
PARENTHOOD THE COMMANDMENT
95
NONMARITAL SEX
111
A SPECIAL NOTE FOR TEENAGERS
118
MASTURBATION
120
MAKING SEX MEANINGFUL JOYFUL AND HOLY
126
Parents and Children
127
FULFILLING PARENTS PHYSICAL NEEDS
135
PERSONAL PRESENCE
136
TWO EXCEPTIONS TO PERSONAL CARE OF PARENTS
137
CARING FOR ELDERLY PARENTS IN TODAYS WORLD
139
APPLYING JEWISH CLASSICAL SOURCES TO CONTEMPORARY CIRCUMSTANCES
143
MARRYING HIM OFF TO A WIFE
150
Family Violence
155
ACKNOWLEDGING FAMILY VIOLENCE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY
157
BEATING WIVES OR HUSBANDS
159
BEATING CHILDREN
166
BEATING PARENTS
171
SEXUAL ABUSE
173
VERBAL ABUSE
176
WITNESSES TO THE ACT OR RESULTS OF ABUSE
179
DEFAMING ANOTHER HUMAN BEING
180
RECONNECTING WITH GODS IMAGE WITHIN US
204
The Elements of Forgiveness
207
OBSTACLES TO ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS
209
OBSTACLES TO FORGIVING
210
FACTORS PROMOTING FORGIVENESS
211
PARDON FORGIVE AND RECONCILE
212
BECOMING WORTHY OF FORGIVENESS
215
ITS PROBLEMS AND PROMISE
220
THE PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS
228
Hope and Destiny
231
GOD
232
INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITY
234
PROVIDING EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT
235
INDIVIDUAL DESTINY
240
LIFE AFTER DEATH
244
COMMUNAL DESTINY
249
Notes
252
The Interaction of Judaism with Morality Defining Motivating and Educating a Moral Person and Society
311
GODS POWER AND GOODNESS
312
THE FEARSOME NATURE OF RELIGIOUS TOPICS
313
RITUALS VERSUS ETHICS
314
THE CONSERVATIVE NATURE OF RELIGIONS
315
DEFINITION OF MORAL NORMS MORAL MOTIVATION AND MORAL EDUCATION
316
STORIES
317
LEADERS AND OTHER MORAL MODELS
319
GENERAL VALUES MAXIMS AND THEORIES
320
THEOLOGY
321
PRAYER
322
STUDY
323
CONTENT
325
JUDGMENT
326
MOTIVATION
329
THE MORAL VALUES ATTACHED TO STUDY ITSELF
333
LAW
337
DEFINING AND ENFORCING MINIMAL STANDARDS
338
ACTUALIZING MORAL IDEALS
339
GIVING MORAL NORMS A SENSE OF THE IMMEDIATE AND THE REAL
340
SERVING AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR MORALITY
341
MAKING AMENDS AND REPAIRING MORAL DAMAGE
342
PRESERVING THE INTEGRITY OF MORAL INTENTIONS
343
NOTES TO APPENDIX
345
Bibliography of Cited Modern Sources
347
Index
361
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