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  1. Home
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  3. Utilitarianism as a Public Philosophy
  • Cited by 253
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Online publication date:
January 2010
Print publication year:
1995
Online ISBN:
9780511625053
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511625053
Subjects:
Political Theory, Politics and International Relations, Philosophy, Political Philosophy
Series:
Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Public Policy
Information

Book 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.

Reviews

‘… there is a great deal in this richly argued book for both moral philosophers and social scientists in general.’

Roger Crisp Source: The Times Literary Supplement

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