Is the death penalty a morally acceptable type of punishment? Is the interest of human beings in eating meat sufficient to justify the way in which we raise and slaughter animals? Do more affluent individuals and countries have a moral obligation to eliminate starvation and malnutrition among the needy? Is society justified in enacting laws that limit individual liberty in sexual matters? What obligations, if any, does society have to undo some of the self-perpetuating inequalities caused by past racial and sexual discrimination? The way we answer such moral questions and the social policies we adopt in keeping with our answer will directly affect our lives. It is not surprising, therefore, that discussions of these and other contemporary moral issues often involve rhetorical arguments whose intent is to elicit highly emotional, unreflective responses. This book is designed to provide material that will encourage a reflective and critical examination of some contemporary moral problems. To achieve this end, we have developed chapters that bring the central issues focus, while allowing the supporting arguments for widely diverse positions to be presented by those who embrace them.