Our self-image as moral well-behaved creatures is dogged by scepticism relativism hypocrisy & nihilism by the fear that in a Godless world science has unmasked us as creatures fated by our genes to be selfish & tribalistic or competitive & aggressive In this 'sparklingly clear' (Guardian) introduction to ethics Simon Blackburn tackles the major moral questions surrounding birth death happiness desire & freedom showing us how we should think about the meaning of life & how we should mistrust the soundbite-sized absolutes that often dominate moral debates ABOUT THE SERIES The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly Our expert authors combine facts analysis perspective new ideas & enthusiasm to make interesting & challenging topics highly readable