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  3. The Cambridge Companion to Utilitarianism
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Online publication date:
February 2014
Print publication year:
2014
Online ISBN:
9781139096737
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1017/CCO9781139096737
Subjects:
History of Philosophy, Political Theory, Ethics, Politics and International Relations, Philosophy
Series:
Cambridge Companions to Philosophy
Collection:
The Cambridge Companions to Philosophy and Religion
Information

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.

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