The Cambridge companion to utilitarianism

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Title:

The Cambridge companion to utilitarianism

Author:

Eggleston, Ben, 1971- editor.

ISBN:

9781107020139

9781107656710

Physical Description:

xiii, 387 pages ; 24 cm.

Series:

[Cambridge companions to philosophy]

Cambridge companions to philosophy.

General Note:

Series statement from publisher's Web site.

Contents:

Utilitarianism before Bentham / Bentham and utilitarianism in the early nineteenth century / Mill and utilitarianism in the mid-nineteenth century / Sidgwick and utilitarianism in the late nineteenth century / Utilitarianism in the twentieth century / Act utilitarianism / Rule utilitarianism / Global utilitarianism / Objectivism, subjectivism, and prospectivism / Subjective theories of well-being / Objective theories of well-being / Kantian ethics and utilitarianism / What virtue ethics can learn from utilitarianism / Utilitarianism and fairness / Utilitarianism and the ethics of war / Utilitarianism and our obligations to future people

Abstract:

"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."--Publisher's description.

Subject Term:

Utilitarianism.

Added Author:

Eggleston, Ben, 1971-

Miller, Dale E., 1966-

Copies:

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Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Copy	Status
Searching... 1:IIEMSA	1:GEN-BOOK	33168025766623	171.5 E28C 2014	1	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

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.