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Author: Tim Mulgan
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317493397
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 174
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Book Description
Utilitarianism - a philosophy based on the principle of the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people - has been hugely influential over the past two centuries. Beyond ethics or morality, utilitarian assumptions and arguments abound in modern economic and political life, especially in public policy. An understanding of utilitarianism is indeed essential to any understanding of contemporary society. "Understanding Utilitarianism" presents utilitarianism very much as a living tradition. The book begins with a summary of the classical utilitarianism of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Subsequent chapters trace the development of the central themes of utilitarian thought over the twentieth century, covering such questions as: What is happiness? Is happiness the only valuable thing? Is utilitarianism about acts or rules or institutions? Is utilitarianism unjust, or implausibly demanding, or impractical? and Where might utilitarianism go in the future?
Author: John Stuart Mill
Publisher: Broadview Press
ISBN: 1460402103
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 209
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Book Description
John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism is a philosophical defense of utilitarianism, a moral theory stating that right actions are those that tend to promote overall happiness. The essay first appeared as a series of articles published in Fraser’s Magazine in 1861; the articles were collected and reprinted as a single book in 1863. Mill discusses utilitarianism in some of his other works, including On Liberty and The Subjection of Women, but Utilitarianism contains his only sustained defence of the theory. In this Broadview Edition, Colin Heydt provides a substantial introduction that will enable readers to understand better the polemical context for Utilitarianism. Heydt shows, for example, how Mill’s moral philosophy grew out of political engagement, rather than exclusively out of a speculative interest in determining the nature of morality. Appendices include precedents to Mill’s work, reactions to Utilitarianism, and related writings by Mill.
Author: Thomas Rawson Birks
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 254
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Book Description
Author: Robin Barrow
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317406540
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 198
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Book Description
In this book, first published in 1991, the author Dr Robin Barrow adopts the view that utilitarianism is the most coherent and persuasive ethical theory we have and argues in favour of a specific form of rule-utilitarianism. This book will be of interest to students of philosophy.
Author: Thomas Rawson
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
ISBN: 3368820176
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 302
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Book Description
Reprint of the original, first published in 1874.
Author: Thomas Rawson Birks
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy, English
Languages : en
Pages : 318
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Book Description
Author: Ben Eggleston
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139867482
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 405
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Book Description
Utilitarianism, the approach to ethics based on the maximization of overall well-being, continues to have great traction in moral philosophy and political thought. This Companion offers a systematic exploration of its history, themes, and applications. First, it traces the origins and development of utilitarianism via the work of Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Henry Sidgwick, and others. The volume then explores issues in the formulation of utilitarianism, including act versus rule utilitarianism, actual versus expected consequences, and objective versus subjective theories of well-being. Next, utilitarianism is positioned in relation to Kantianism and virtue ethics, and the possibility of conflict between utilitarianism and fairness is considered. Finally, the volume explores the modern relevance of utilitarianism by considering its practical implications for contemporary controversies such as military conflict and global warming. The volume will be an important resource for all those studying moral philosophy, political philosophy, political theory, and history of ideas.
Author: John Stuart Mill
Publisher: Phoemixx Classics Ebooks
ISBN: 3986770798
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 81
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Book Description
Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill - Utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals. Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different characterizations, the basic idea behind all of them is to in some sense maximize utility, which is often defined in terms of well-being or related concepts. For instance, Jeremy Bentham, the founder of utilitarianism, described utility as "that property in any object, whereby it tends to produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness...[or] to prevent the happening of mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness to the party whose interest is considered."Utilitarianism is a version of consequentialism, which states that the consequences of any action are the only standard of right and wrong. Unlike other forms of consequentialism, such as egoism and altruism, utilitarianism considers the interests of all humans equally. Proponents of utilitarianism have disagreed on a number of points, such as whether actions should be chosen based on their likely results (act utilitarianism), or whether agents should conform to rules that maximize utility (rule utilitarianism). There is also disagreement as to whether total (total utilitarianism), average (average utilitarianism) or minimum utility should be maximized.Though the seeds of the theory can be found in the hedonists Aristippus and Epicurus, who viewed happiness as the only good, and in the work of the medieval Indian philosopher ntideva, the tradition of modern utilitarianism began with Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), and continued with such philosophers as John Stuart Mill, Henry Sidgwick, R. M. Hare, and Peter Singer. The concept has been applied towards social welfare economics, the dropping of the atomic bombs in World War 2, the crisis of global poverty, the ethics of raising animals for food, and the importance of avoiding existential risks to humanity.
Author: Tim Mulgan
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317493400
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 201
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Book Description
Utilitarianism - a philosophy based on the principle of the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people - has been hugely influential over the past two centuries. Beyond ethics or morality, utilitarian assumptions and arguments abound in modern economic and political life, especially in public policy. An understanding of utilitarianism is indeed essential to any understanding of contemporary society. "Understanding Utilitarianism" presents utilitarianism very much as a living tradition. The book begins with a summary of the classical utilitarianism of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Subsequent chapters trace the development of the central themes of utilitarian thought over the twentieth century, covering such questions as: What is happiness? Is happiness the only valuable thing? Is utilitarianism about acts or rules or institutions? Is utilitarianism unjust, or implausibly demanding, or impractical? and Where might utilitarianism go in the future?
Author: J. J. C. Smart
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521098229
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 162
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Book Description
A serious and controversial work in which the authors contribute essays from opposite points of view on utilitarian assumptions, arguments and ideals.
Author: Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198728794
Category : Electronic books
Languages : en
Pages : 169
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Book Description
Utilitarianism is one of the most important and influential secular philosophies of modern times, and has drawn considerable debate and controversy. This book considers its origins, its relevance to modern moral challenges, and the arguments and discussions around utilitarian approaches.
