Abstract: Contemporary American Writer Philip Roth, a sharp observer of the society, often reflects on destiny in hard living environment in his writings. Taking the historical affairs of contemporary America as the background, the author, in The Human Stain, thinks over the misfortunes of the characters, then deeply discloses the current situation in American society and the struggle and bitterness of the lower-class people in ethical dilemma. Ethical Literary Criticism concerns ethical morality in literary texts. By analyzing the various ethical phenomena in the text, it reexamines humanity and social reality. From three ethical perspectives of identity, desire and death, this paper not only reveals the author's philosophical speculation on the alienated phenomena of ethnic minority in the process of integration with other cultures and on the survival of one's destiny in class society, but also contains his ethical introspection on many issues, such as the relationships between human and nature, human and society, and human and himself.

Key words: Philip Roth, The Human Stain, ethics, identity, desire, death