Contractualism and the Foundations of Morality

Contractualism and the Foundations of Morality PDF Author: Nicholas Southwood
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191009997
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 221

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Book Description
Contractualism has a venerable history and considerable appeal. Yet as an account of the foundations or ultimate grounds of morality it has been thought by many philosophers to be subject to fatal objections. In this book Nicholas Southwood argues otherwise. Beginning by detailing and diagnosing the shortcomings of the existing "Hobbesian" and "Kantian" models of contractualism, he then proposes a novel "deliberative" model, based on an interpersonal, deliberative conception of practical reason. He argues that the deliberative model of contractualism represents an attractive alternative to its more familiar rivals and that it has the resources to offer a more compelling account of morality's foundations, one that does justice to the twin demands of moral accuracy and explanatory adequacy.

Contractualism and the Foundations of Morality

Contractualism and the Foundations of Morality PDF Author: Nicholas Southwood
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191009997
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 221

Get Book

Book Description
Contractualism has a venerable history and considerable appeal. Yet as an account of the foundations or ultimate grounds of morality it has been thought by many philosophers to be subject to fatal objections. In this book Nicholas Southwood argues otherwise. Beginning by detailing and diagnosing the shortcomings of the existing "Hobbesian" and "Kantian" models of contractualism, he then proposes a novel "deliberative" model, based on an interpersonal, deliberative conception of practical reason. He argues that the deliberative model of contractualism represents an attractive alternative to its more familiar rivals and that it has the resources to offer a more compelling account of morality's foundations, one that does justice to the twin demands of moral accuracy and explanatory adequacy.

Scanlon and Contractualism

Scanlon and Contractualism PDF Author: Matt Matravers
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135755949
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
This collection brings together essays by distinguished political philosophers which reflect on the detailed arguments of What We Owe to Each Other, and comment critically both on Scanlon's contractualism and his revised understandings of motivation and morality. The essays illustrate the uses of Scanlon's contractualism by applying it to moral and political problems and in so doing they provide an assessment of the ability of Scanlon's contractualism by applying it to other forms of ethical theory. The resulting volume makes an important and original contribution to the literature on Scanlon, on contractualism and on contemporary political philosophy.

Utilitarianism and Beyond

Utilitarianism and Beyond PDF Author: Amartya Sen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521287715
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
Utilitarianism considered both as a theory of personal morality and a theory of public choice.

Contractualism

Contractualism PDF Author: Jussi Suikkanen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108587119
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 77

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Book Description
This Element begins by describing T.M. Scanlon's contractualism according to which an action is right when it is authorised by the moral principles no one could reasonably reject. This view has argued to have implausible consequences with regards to how different-sized groups, non-human animals, and cognitively limited human beings should be treated. It has also been accused of being theoretically redundant and unable to vindicate the so-called deontic distinctions. I then distinguish between the general contractualist framework and Scanlon's version of contractualism. I explain how the general framework enables us to formulate many other versions of contractualism some of which can already be found in the literature. Understanding contractualism in this new way enables us both to understand the structural similarities and differences between different versions of contractualism and also to see the different objections to contractualism as internal debates about which version of contractualism is correct.

The Concept of Moral Consensus

The Concept of Moral Consensus PDF Author: K. Bayertz
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9401108609
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
The demand for consensus arises due to its absence. For each opinion held there will be another to counter it, and for each approach to problem solving an alternative will be suggested. Focusing on the bioethical problems surrounding new technical interventions in human reproduction, 15 authors try to examine the meaning, importance and feasibility of consensus. The very different perspectives from the philosophers, physicians, lawyers, theologians, politicians and sociologists contributing to this topic reflect on the difficulties and complexity of moral decision making, offer views on the problem of why decision making does not take place more harmoniously and asks if there can be any hope of a solution in a world where the discipline of contemporary ethics is characterised by a vast diversity - or chaos - of heterogenous theories and concurring approaches. This book is intended for philosophers, physicians, ethicists and everyone involved in moral decision making, to shape his or her understanding of this process and to help him or her to reflect on the concept of consensus.

Rightness as Fairness

Rightness as Fairness PDF Author: Marcus Arvan
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137541814
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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Book Description
Rightness as Fairness provides a uniquely fruitful method of 'principled fair negotiation' for resolving applied moral and political issues that requires merging principled debate with real-world negotiation.

Contractarianism and Rational Choice

Contractarianism and Rational Choice PDF Author: Peter Vallentyne
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521398152
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 356

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Book Description
David Gauthier's Morals by Agreement (1986) is the most complete and suggestive contractarian theory of morality since the work of Rawls. In this anthology a number of prominent moral and political philosophers offer a critical assessment of Gauthier's theory and its three main projects: developing a contractarian foundation for morality, defending a theory of rational choice, and supporting the claim that rationality requires one to keep one's agreements. An introduction sets out Gauthier's project, while Gauthier himself has the last word, responding to the critiques. This collection will interest moral and political philosophers, social theorists, and specialists in the philosophy and theory of law as well as management sciences.

Corporate Citizenship, Contractarianism and Ethical Theory

Corporate Citizenship, Contractarianism and Ethical Theory PDF Author: Jesús Conill
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351160982
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 301

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Book Description
This study provides a representation of the broad spectrum of theoretical work on topics related to business ethics, with a particular focus on corporate citizenship. It considers relations of business and society alongside social responsibility and moves on to examine the historical and systemic foundations of business ethics, focusing on the concepts of social and ethical responsibilities. The contributors explore established theories and concepts and their impact on moral behaviour. Together, the contributions offer varied philosophical theories in approaches to business ethics. The book will be a valuable resource for academics and researchers with an interest in the theoretical development of business ethics.

Society's Choices

Society's Choices PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309051320
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 560

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Book Description
Breakthroughs in biomedicine often lead to new life-giving treatments but may also raise troubling, even life-and-death, quandaries. Society's Choices discusses ways for people to handle today's bioethics issues in the context of America's unique history and cultureâ€"and from the perspectives of various interest groups. The book explores how Americans have grappled with specific aspects of bioethics through commission deliberations, programs by organizations, and other mechanisms and identifies criteria for evaluating the outcomes of these efforts. The committee offers recommendations on the role of government and professional societies, the function of commissions and institutional review boards, and bioethics in health professional education and research. The volume includes a series of 12 superb background papers on public moral discourse, mechanisms for handling social and ethical dilemmas, and other specific areas of controversy by well-known experts Ronald Bayer, Martin Benjamin, Dan W. Brock, Baruch A. Brody, H. Alta Charo, Lawrence Gostin, Bradford H. Gray, Kathi E. Hanna, Elizabeth Heitman, Thomas Nagel, Steven Shapin, and Charles M. Swezey.

Morals by Agreement

Morals by Agreement PDF Author: David Gauthier
Publisher: Clarendon Press
ISBN: 0191520144
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 376

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Book Description
In this book the author argues that moral principles are principles of rational choice. According to the usual view of choice, a rational person selects what is likely to give the greatest expectation of value or utility. But in many situations, if each person chooses in this way, everyone will be worse off than need be. Instead, Professor Gauthier proposes a principle whereby choice is made on an agreed basis of co-operation, rather than according to what would give the individual the greatest expectation of value. He shows that such a principle not only ensures mutual benefit and fairness, thus satisfying the standards of morality, but also that each person may actually expect greater utility by adhering to morality, even though the choice did not have that end primarily in view. In resolving what may appear to be a paradox, the author establishes morals on the firm foundation of reason.