Understanding Utilitarianism (Understanding Movements in Modern Thought)

Mulgan, Tim

ISBN 10: 1844650898 / ISBN 13: 9781844650897

Published by Routledge, 2014

About this Item

New.

Seller Inventory # ERICA82918446508986

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Understanding Utilitarianism (Understanding Movements in Modern Thought)
• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1844650898
• ISBN 13: 9781844650897
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New
• Book Type: book

About this title

Synopsis

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?

About the Author

Tim Mulgan