The Cambridge Companion to Utilitarianism

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.

Ben Eggleston is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kansas. He is co-editor (with Dale E. Miller and David Weinstein) of John Stuart Mill and the Art of Life (2011). Dale E. Miller is Professor of Philosophy at Old Dominion University. He is author of J. S. Mill: Moral, Social and Political Thought (2010), and co-editor of Morality, Rules, and Consequences (with Brad Hooker and Elinor Mason, 2000) and John Stuart Mill and the Art of Life (with Ben Eggleston and David Weinstein, 2011).