Utilitarianism

by Geoffrey Scarre

Overview

Surveying the historical development and present condition of utilitarian ethics, Geoffrey Scarre concludes that whilst utilitarianism may not be a faultless moral doctrine, its positions are relevant and remain significant today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781134827923
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/31/2002
Series:	Problems of Philosophy
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Geoffrey Scarre is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Durham. He is the author of Logic and Reality in the Philosophy of John Stuart Mill and the editor of Children. Parents and Politics.

Table of Contents

Preface — I Introduction: The Character of the Theory — II Four Ancient Moralists — 1 MoTzu — 2 Jesus — 3 Aristotle — 4 Epir:urus — III Utilitarianism and Enlightenment — I Chastellux and Helvetius — 2 Hutcheson — 3 Hume — 4 Priestley and Paley — 5 Godwin — 6 Bentham — IV John Stuart Mill — I Early years — 2 James Mill — 3 The importance of character — 4 Higher and lower pleasures — 5 The 'proof of utility' — 6 Utility and justice — V Some Later Developments — I Intuitional utilitarianism: Sidgwick — 2 Ideal Utilitarianism: Moore and Rashdall — 3 Rule-utilitarianism — VI Happiness and Other Ends — I Preference and happiness — 2 Dominant- and inclusive-end conceptions of happiness — 3 Problems about multiple ends — 4 Two contrasting responses — VII Maximisation, Fairness and Respect for Persons — I Is utilitarian justice just? — 2 Panem et circenses — 3 'Whoever debases others is debasing himself' — 4 But should the consequences count? — 5 Limitations of the self-respect argument — 6 Archangels, proles and the natural man — VIII Utilitarianism and Personality — I Does utilitarian morality demand too much? — 2 The hard line: utilitarians should be saints — 3 A softer line: utilitarians may be human — 4 Maximisation and alienation — 5 Non-alienating direct utilitarianism — Notes — Bibliography — Index.

Editorial Reviews

'This is an excellent introduction to and survey of utilitarianism, and important current in contemporary ethical theory.' - Philosophia, The Philosophical Quarterly of Israel, 27, 3-4 Nov.1999

From the Publisher