Utilitarianism as a public philosophy
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Bibliographic Information
Utilitarianism as a public philosophy
（Cambridge studies in philosophy and public policy）
Cambridge University Press, 1995
- : hbk
- : pbk
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 321-346) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Utilitarianism, the great reforming philosophy of the nineteenth century, has today acquired the reputation for being a crassly calculating, impersonal philosophy unfit to serve as a guide to moral conduct. Yet what may disqualify utilitarianism as a personal philosophy makes it an eminently suitable guide for public officials in the pursuit of their professional responsibilities. Robert E. Goodin, a philosopher with many books on political theory, public policy and applied ethics to his credit, defends utilitarianism against its critics and shows how it can be applied most effectively over a wide range of public policies. In discussions of such issues as paternalism, social welfare policy, international ethics, nuclear armaments, and international responses to the environment crisis, he demonstrates what a flexible tool his brand of utilitarianism can be in confronting the dilemmas of public policy in the real world.
Table of Contents
- Part I. Introduction: Moral Bases of State Action: 1. Utilitarianism as a public philosophy
- 2. The state as a moral agent
- Part II. Morality, Public and Private: 3. Do motives matter?
- 4. Government house utilitarianism
- Part III. Shaping Private Conduct: 5. Responsibilities
- 6. Distributing credit and blame
- 7. Apportioning responsibilities
- Part IV. Shaping Public Policies: Section A. Respecting and overriding preferences: 8. Liberalism and the best-judge principle
- 9. Laundering preferences
- 10. Heroic measures and false hopes
- 11. Theories of compensation
- Section B. Ensuring social security: 12. Stabilising expectations
- 13. Compensation and redistribution
- 14. Basic income
- 15. Relative needs
- C. International ethics
- 16. What is so special about our fellow countrymen?
- 17. Nuclear disarmament as a moral certainty
- 18. International ethics and the environmental crisis
- References
- Index.
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