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example of hedonistic calculus: Ethics for A-Level Mark Dimmock, Andrew Fisher, 2017-07-31 What does pleasure have to do with morality? What role, if any, should intuition have in the formation of moral theory? If something is ‘simulated’, can it be immoral? This accessible and wide-ranging textbook explores these questions and many more. Key ideas in the fields of normative ethics, metaethics and applied ethics are explained rigorously and systematically, with a vivid writing style that enlivens the topics with energy and wit. Individual theories are discussed in detail in the first part of the book, before these positions are applied to a wide range of contemporary situations including business ethics, sexual ethics, and the acceptability of eating animals. A wealth of real-life examples, set out with depth and care, illuminate the complexities of different ethical approaches while conveying their modern-day relevance. This concise and highly engaging resource is tailored to the Ethics components of AQA Philosophy and OCR Religious Studies, with a clear and practical layout that includes end-of-chapter summaries, key terms, and common mistakes to avoid. It should also be of practical use for those teaching Philosophy as part of the International Baccalaureate. Ethics for A-Level is of particular value to students and teachers, but Fisher and Dimmock’s precise and scholarly approach will appeal to anyone seeking a rigorous and lively introduction to the challenging subject of ethics. Tailored to the Ethics components of AQA Philosophy and OCR Religious Studies. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Utilitarianism - Ed. Heydt John Stuart Mill, 2010-08-06 John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism is a philosophical defense of utilitarianism, a moral theory stating that right actions are those that tend to promote overall happiness. The essay first appeared as a series of articles published in Fraser’s Magazine in 1861; the articles were collected and reprinted as a single book in 1863. Mill discusses utilitarianism in some of his other works, including On Liberty and The Subjection of Women, but Utilitarianism contains his only sustained defence of the theory. In this Broadview Edition, Colin Heydt provides a substantial introduction that will enable readers to understand better the polemical context for Utilitarianism. Heydt shows, for example, how Mill’s moral philosophy grew out of political engagement, rather than exclusively out of a speculative interest in determining the nature of morality. Appendices include precedents to Mill’s work, reactions to Utilitarianism, and related writings by Mill. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Hedonistic Utilitarianism Torbjörn Tännsjö, 1998 This volume presents a comprehensive statement in defense of the doctrine known as classical, hedonistic utilitarianism. It is presented as a viable alternative in the search for a moral theory and the claim is defended that we need such a theory. The book offers a distinctive approach and some quite controversial conclusions. Torbjorn Tannsjo challenges the assumption that hedonistic utilitarianism is at variance with common sense morality particularly as viewed through the perspective of the modern feminist moral critique. |
example of hedonistic calculus: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation Jeremy Bentham, 1879 |
example of hedonistic calculus: The Principles of Morals and Legislation Jeremy Bentham, 1879 Discusses morals' functions and natures that affect the legislation in general. Bases the discussions on pain and pleasure as basic principle of law embodiment. Mentions of the circumstance influencing sensibility, general human actions, intentionality, conciousness, motives, human dispositions, consequencess of mischievous act, case of punishment, and offences' division. |
example of hedonistic calculus: The Methods of Ethics Henry Sidgwick, 1874 |
example of hedonistic calculus: Ethics 101 Brian Boone, 2017-11-07 Explore the mysteries of morality and the concept of right and wrong with this accessible, engaging guide featuring basic facts along with an overview of modern-day issues ranging from business ethics and bioethics to political and social ethics. Ethics 101 offers an exciting look into the history of moral principles that dictate human behavior. Unlike traditional textbooks that overwhelm, this easy-to-read guide presents the key concepts of ethics in fun, straightforward lessons and exercises featuring only the most important facts, theories, and ideas. Ethics 101 includes unique, accessible elements such as: -Explanations of the major moral philosophies including utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, and eastern philosophers including Avicenna, Buddha, and Confucius. -Classic thought exercises including the trolley problem, the sorites paradox, and agency theory -Unique profiles of the greatest characters in moral philosophy -An explanation of modern applied ethics in bioethics, business ethics, political ethics, professional ethics, organizational ethics, and social ethics From Plato to Jean-Paul Sartre and utilitarianism to antirealism, Ethics 101 is jam-packed with enlightening information that you can’t get anywhere else! |
example of hedonistic calculus: The Classical Utilitarians Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, 2003-03-15 This volume includes the complete texts of two of John Stuart Mill's most important works, Utilitarianism and On Liberty, and selections from his other writings, including the complete text of his Remarks on Bentham's Philosophy. The selection from Mill's A System of Logic is of special relevance to the debate between those who read Mill as an Act-Utilitarian and those who interpret him as a Rule-Utilitarian. Also included are selections from the writings of Jeremy Bentham, founder of modern Utilitarianism and mentor (together with James Mill) of John Stuart Mill. Bentham's Principles of Morals and Legislation had important effects on political and legal reform in his own time and continues to provide insights for political theorists and philosophers of law. Seven chapters of Bentham's Principles are here in their entirety, together with a number of shorter selections, including one in which Bentham repudiates the slogan often used to characterize his philosophy: The Greatest Happiness of the Greatest Number. John Troyer's Introduction presents the central themes and arguments of Bentham and Mill and assesses their relevance to current discussions of Utilitarianism. The volume also provides indexes, a glossary, and notes. |
example of hedonistic calculus: The Metaphysics of Perfect Beings , |
example of hedonistic calculus: Security Supervision and Management IFPO, 2007-12-14 The International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO) has for many years provided materials to support its certification programs. The current edition of this book is being used as the core text for the Security Supervision and Management Training/Certified in Security Supervision and Management (CSSM) Program at IFPO. The CSSM was designed in 1988 to meet the needs of the security supervisor or senior protection officer. The book has enjoyed tremendous acceptance and success in the past, and the changes in this third edition, vetted by IFPO, make it still more current and relevant. Updates include 14 new chapters, 3 completely revised chapters, Student Performance Objectives in each chapter, and added information on related resources (both print and online). - Completion of the Security Supervision and Management Program is the initial step toward the Certified in Security Supervision and Management (CSSM) designation - Over 40 experienced security professionals contribute chapters in their area of specialty - Revised throughout, and completely updated with 14 new chapters on topics such as Leadership, Homeland Security, Strategic Planning and Management, Budget Planning, Career Planning, and much more - Quizzes at the end of each chapter allow for self testing or enhanced classroom work |
example of hedonistic calculus: The Early Works, 1882-1898: 1887. Psychology John Dewey, 1967 |
example of hedonistic calculus: The Cambridge Companion to Utilitarianism Ben Eggleston, Dale E. Miller, 2014-01-30 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. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Hobbes and the Two Faces of Ethics Arash Abizadeh, 2018-11-01 Reading Hobbes in light of both the history of ethics and the conceptual apparatus developed in recent work on normativity, this book challenges received interpretations of Hobbes and his historical significance. Arash Abizadeh uncovers the fundamental distinction underwriting Hobbes's ethics: between prudential reasons of the good, articulated via natural laws prescribing the means of self-preservation, and reasons of the right or justice, comprising contractual obligations for which we are accountable to others. He shows how Hobbes's distinction marks a watershed in the transition from the ancient Greek to the modern conception of ethics, and demonstrates the relevance of Hobbes's thought to current debates about normativity, reasons, and responsibility. His book will interest Hobbes scholars, historians of ethics, moral philosophers, and political theorists. |
example of hedonistic calculus: The Calculus of Consent James M. Buchanan, Gordon Tullock, 1965 A scientific study of the political and economic factors influencing democratic decision making |
example of hedonistic calculus: Handbook of Pain Assessment, Third Edition Dennis C. Turk, Ronald Melzack, 2011-08-08 This definitive clinical reference comprehensively reviews the most advanced methods for assessing the person in pain. The field's leading authorities present essential information and tools for evaluating psychosocial, behavioral, situational, and medical factors in patients' subjective experience, functional impairment, and response to treatment. Empirically supported instruments and procedures are detailed, including self-report measures, observational techniques, psychophysiological measures, and more. Best-practice recommendations are provided for assessing the most prevalent pain syndromes and for working with children, older adults, and people with communication difficulties. The book also weighs in on the limitations of existing methods and identifies key directions for future research. |
example of hedonistic calculus: What Is Good and Why Richard Kraut, 2009-07-01 What is good, how do we know, and how important is it? Kraut reorients these questions around the notion of what causes human beings to flourish. Extending his argument to include plants and animals, Kraut applies a general principle to the entire living world: what is good for complex organisms consists in the exercise of their natural powers. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Experience Machines Mark Silcox, 2017-07-17 In his classic work Anarchy, State and Utopia, Robert Nozick asked his readers to imagine being permanently plugged into a 'machine that would give you any experience you desired'. He speculated that, in spite of the many obvious attractions of such a prospect, most people would choose against passing the rest of their lives under the influence of this type of invention. Nozick thought (and many have since agreed) that this simple thought experiment had profound implications for how we think about ethics, political justice, and the significance of technology in our everyday lives. Nozick’s argument was made in 1974, about a decade before the personal computer revolution in Europe and North America. Since then, opportunities for the citizens of industrialized societies to experience virtual worlds and simulated environments have multiplied to an extent that no philosopher could have predicted. The authors in this volume re-evaluate the merits of Nozick’s argument, and use it as a jumping–off point for the philosophical examination of subsequent developments in culture and technology, including a variety of experience-altering cybernetic technologies such as computer games, social media networks, HCI devices, and neuro-prostheses. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Ethics Noel Stewart, 2009-01-27 This textbook provides a much-needed, straightforward introduction to moral philosophy. It will particularly benefit students following courses containing an ethics module, including philosophy from secondary school onwards, religious studies, law and medicine, but it has also been written for any reader puzzled by moral disputes and dilemmas. Written in an easy and approachable style and packed with lively examples from everyday life, the first section of the book clearly explains and assesses the arguments for and against the rival moral theories of utilitarianism, Kantianism, Divine Command Theory and virtue ethics. The second section develops this by analysing the conflicting advice each moral theory gives regarding four controversial areas of life, namely euthanasia, abortion, animal rights and the environment. The final section concludes with an account of the vital debate concerning whether the difference between right and wrong is an objective fact discovered by us, like gravity, or is instead a human creation and invented by us, like tax laws. Throughout the book moral arguments are broken down into their component parts and explained in clear and simple stages so that readers not previously familiar with philosophical reasoning are aware at all times of where they are in the debate, and where the strengths and weaknesses lie in each position. As such, it is an ideal introduction to critical thinking as well as to moral philosophy. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Twelve Examples of Illusion Jan Westerhoff, 2010-09-23 Tibetan Buddhist writings frequently state that many of the things we perceive in the world are in fact illusory, as illusory as echoes or mirages. In Twelve Examples of Illusion, Jan Westerhoff offers an engaging look at a dozen illusions--including magic tricks, dreams, rainbows, and reflections in a mirror--showing how these phenomena can give us insight into reality. For instance, he offers a fascinating discussion of optical illusions, such as the wheel of fire (the wheel seen when a torch is swung rapidly in a circle), discussing Tibetan explanations of this phenomenon as well as the findings of modern psychology, and significantly clarifying the idea that most phenomena--from chairs to trees--are similar illusions. The book uses a variety of crystal-clear examples drawn from a wide variety of fields, including contemporary philosophy and cognitive science, as well as the history of science, optics, artificial intelligence, geometry, economics, and literary theory. Throughout, Westerhoff makes both Buddhist philosophical ideas and the latest theories of mind and brain come alive for the general reader. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Deviant Behavior John A. Humphrey, Frank Schmalleger, 2019-12-11 What makes behavior deviant, and who gets to decide what deviance is? Deviant Behavior seeks to answer these questions and more. This compelling new text covers the social forces that shape deviance, the motivations and consequences of deviant behaviors, and how our definition of deviance changes over time. Authors John A. Humphrey and Frank Schmalleger discuss a wide range of deviant behaviors—from criminal acts to extreme forms of everyday behavior—and provide students the necessary foundation to understand the impact of globalization on traditional and emerging forms of deviance. Readers will explore deviance in the modern world using a systematic application of social and criminological theories to a range of deviant behaviors to help them better understand themselves, others, and society. Included with this title: The password-protected Instructor Resource Site (formally known as SAGE Edge) offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Prolegomena to Ethics Thomas Hill Green, 1883 |
example of hedonistic calculus: Machiavelli and Epicureanism Robert J. Roecklein, 2012-10-05 This book investigates the influence of Epicurean physics on the argument developed in Machiavelli’s Discourses on Livy. Towards this end, the full philosophical history and origins of atomist philosophy are investigated during the first three chapters. Plato’s critique of the atomist philosophy, from his dialogue the Parmenides, is a part of that investigation. In fact, Plato provides a refutation of the atomist philosophy in the Parmenides. A significant amount of scholarship has been accomplished that demonstrates the currents of Lucretian atomism in Machiavelli’s Florence. Evidence is supplied as to Machiavelli’s exposure to the Lucretian text, and the book then proceeds to investigate the transformational arguments of the Discourses On Livy itself. Machiavelli’s Discourses are saturated with terminology that is borrowed from physics: ‘materia’ (Matter), ‘corpo’ (body), ‘forma’ (form), ‘accidente’ (accident). English translators have usually employed some theory as to which tradition of physics Machiavelli is relying upon, in order to conduct their translations. By borrowing the terminology of Lucretian physics, Machiavelli becomes able to conceive of the people in a political society as something less than human: as ‘matter’ or materia without form. In my analysis of Machiavelli’s deployment of the concepts from Lucretian physics, it is attempted to unveil the brutality that is inherent in Machiavelli’s new definitions of the elements of politics, and the general hostility of his political science to the Aristotelian concept of the human being as political animal. The classical physics of Aristotle, which Machiavelli has rejected for a model, indicates the forward looking momentum of natural beings. For Aristotle, nature intends human political society as the arena for human fulfillment. In Aristotelian physics, nature aims at an end in generation, i.e. at a culmination of the natural being in its proper condition of excellence. For human beings, this is justice, the quality of relationships that makes happiness possible. In Machiavelli, a new politicized physics is revealed. In Machiavelli’s model, the human beings of formed matter are repeatedly sent, through new institutions and methods of government, ‘back to their beginnings’, i.e. to a condition of isolation, destitution, injury, and pain. The last chapter of the book concludes with an examination of the particular institutions and methods that Machiavelli holds out to us for employment, if his new vision of a republic is to be realized. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Introduction to Ethics Chhanda Chakraborti, 2023-09-17 The book introduces the reader to western ethics as a subject, along with its three standard subdivisions. Although the book is written with university students, policymakers, and professionals in mind, the book is lucid enough to be accessible to most adult readers. The book begins with introductions to the basics of ethics. These chapters are meant to provide the reader with the background knowledge necessary for understanding the more technical chapters on metaethics, normative ethics theories, and applied ethics, the three well-known subdivisions within ethics. The chapters that follow take up core ethical issues from each of these areas. The sections focus on explanation and a critical understanding of the ethical issue. The chapters also have examples, cases, and exercises to encourage critical thinking and to enable the reader to grasp the issue better. The book has tried to bring contemporary issues, such as ethics of human organ transplantation, and contemporary theories, such as Amartya Sen’s concept of Justice and Martha Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach, to engage the readers with ethics in the real world. The book concludes with applied ethics, but with the example of ethics of artificial intelligence. The aim is to keep ethics as a future-driven activity and to emphasize the need to understand the real-world ethical situations and dilemmas that will affect the stakeholders all around the world in the coming years as artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies change our everyday life. |
example of hedonistic calculus: The Study of Ethics John Dewey, 1894 |
example of hedonistic calculus: The Rationale of Punishment Jeremy Bentham, 1830 This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Liberal Utilitarianism and Applied Ethics Matti Hayry, 2013-01-11 Liberal Utilitarianism and Applied Ethics explores the foundations of early utilitarianism and, at the same time, the theoretical bases of social ethics and policy in modern Western welfare states. Matti Hayry sees the main reason for utilitarianism's growing disrepute among moral philosophers is that its principles cannot legitimately be extended to situations where the basic needs of the individuals involved are in conflict. He is able to formulate a solution to this fundamental problem by arguing convincingly that by combining a limited version of liberal utilitarianism and the methods of applied ethics, we are able to define our moral duties and rights. Liberal Utilitarianism and Applied Ethics will appeal to students and teachers of philosophy who are interested in the doctrine of utilitarianism or in ethical decison-making. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism Phillip Mitsis, 2020 This volume offers authoritative discussions of all aspects of the philosophy of Epicurus (340-271 BCE) and then traces Epicurean influences throughout the Western tradition. It is an unmatched resource for those wishing to deepen their knowledge of Epicureanism's powerful arguments about death, happiness, and the nature of the material world. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Well-Being Daniel Kahneman, Edward Diener, Norbert Schwarz, 1999-07-08 The nature of well-being is one of the most enduring and elusive subjects of human inquiry. Well-Being draws upon the latest scientific research to transform our understanding of this ancient question. With contributions from leading authorities in psychology, social psychology, and neuroscience, this volume presents the definitive account of current scientific efforts to understand human pleasure and pain, contentment and despair. The distinguished contributors to this volume combine a rigorous analysis of human sensations, emotions, and moods with a broad assessment of the many factors, from heredity to nationality, that bear on our well-being. Using the tools of experimental science, the contributors confront the puzzles of human likes and dislikes. Why do we grow accustomed and desensitized to changes in our lives, both good and bad? Does our happiness reflect the circumstances of our lives or is it determined by our temperament and personality? Why do humans acquire tastes for sensations that are initially painful or unpleasant? By examining the roots of our everyday likes and dislikes, the book also sheds light on some of the more extreme examples of attraction and aversion, such as addiction and depression. Among its wide ranging inquiries, Well-Being examines systematic differences in moods and behaviors between genders, explaining why women suffer higher rates of depression and anxiety than men, but are also more inclined to express positive emotions. The book also makes international comparisons, finding that some countries' populations report higher levels of happiness than others. The contributors deploy an array of methods, from the surveys and questionnaires of social science to psychological and physiological experiments, to develop a comprehensive new approach to the study of well-being. They show how the sensory pleasures of the body can tells us something about the higher pleasures of the mind and even how the effectiveness of our immune system can depend upon the health of our social relationships. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Epicureanism at the Origins of Modernity Catherine Wilson, 2008-06-19 This landmark study examines the role played by the rediscovery of the writings of the ancient atomists, Epicurus and Lucretius, in the articulation of the major philosophical systems of the seventeenth century, and, more broadly, their influence on the evolution of natural science and moral and political philosophy. The target of sustained and trenchant philosophical criticism by Cicero, and of opprobrium by the Christian Fathers of the early Church, for its unflinching commitment to the absence of divine supervision and the finitude of life, the Epicurean philosophy surfaced again in the period of the Scientific Revolution, when it displaced scholastic Aristotelianism. Both modern social contract theory and utilitarianism in ethics were grounded in its tenets. Catherine Wilson shows how the distinctive Epicurean image of the natural and social worlds took hold in philosophy, and how it is an acknowledged, and often unacknowledged presence in the writings of Descartes, Gassendi, Hobbes, Boyle, Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley. With chapters devoted to Epicurean physics and cosmology, the corpuscularian or mechanical philosophy, the question of the mortality of the soul, the grounds of political authority, the contested nature of the experimental philosophy, sensuality, curiosity, and the role of pleasure and utility in ethics, the author makes a persuasive case for the significance of materialism in seventeenth-century philosophy without underestimating the depth and significance of the opposition to it, and for its continued importance in the contemporary world. Lucretius's great poem, On the Nature of Things, supplies the frame of reference for this deeply-researched inquiry into the origins of modern philosophy. . |
example of hedonistic calculus: Cross-cultural Perspectives in Medical Ethics Robert M. Veatch, 2000 Cross- Cultural Perspectives in Medical Ethics, Second Edition, is an anthology of the latest and best readings on the medical ethics of as many of the major religious, philosophical, and medical traditions that are available today. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Flood Risk and Social Justice Zoran Vojinovic, Michael B. Abbott, 2012-03-05 Flood Risk and Social Justice is a response to the rising significance of floods and flood-related disasters worldwide, as an initiative to promote a socially just approach to the problems of flood risk. It integrates the human-social and the technological components to provide a holistic view. This book treats flooding as a multi-dimensional human and natural world tragedy that must be accommodated using all the social and technological means that can be mobilised before, during and after the flooding event. It covers socially just flood risk mitigation practices which necessitate a wide range of multidisciplinary approaches, starting from social and wider environmental needs, including feedback cycles between human needs and technological means. Flood Risk and Social Justice looks at how to judge whether a risk is acceptable or not by addressing an understanding of social and phenomenological considerations rather than simple calculations of probabilities multiplied by unwanted outcomes and their balancing between costs and benefits. It is argued that the present ‘flood management’ practice should be largely replaced by the social justice approach where particular attention is given to deciding what is the right thing to do within a much wider context. Thus it insists upon the validity of modes of human understanding which cannot be addressed within the limited context of modern science. Flood Risk and Social Justice is written to support a wide range of audiences and seeks to improve the dialogue between researchers and practitioners from different disciplines (including post-graduate engineering, environmental and social science students, industry practitioners, academics, planners, environmental advocacy groups and environmental law professionals) who have a strong interest in a new kind of social justice work that can act as a continuous counter-balance to the various mechanisms that unceasingly give rise to profound injustices. More information about this book can be found in this article written for the WaterWiki by the author: http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/FloodRiskandSocialJustice Authors: Zoran Vojinovic is Associate Professor at the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, the Netherlands, with almost 20 years of consulting and research experience in various aspects of water industry in New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Europe, Central/South America and the Caribbean. Michael B. Abbott is Emeritus Professor at the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, the Netherlands, and a Director of the European Institute for Industrial Leadership in Brussels. He founded and developed the disciplines of Computational Hydraulics and Hydroinformatics and co-founded, the Journal of Hydroinformatics with Professor Roger Falconer. |
example of hedonistic calculus: On Liberty John Stuart Mill, 1913 |
example of hedonistic calculus: Utilitarianism J. J. C. Smart, Bernard Williams, 1973 A serious and controversial work in which the authors contribute essays from opposite points of view on utilitarian assumptions, arguments and ideals. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Fundamentals of Ethics Russ Shafer-Landau, 2023-08 This book is divided into three parts-one on the Good Life, another on Doing the Right Thing, and the last on the Status of Morality. You can read these parts in any order. Many will want to begin at the end, for instance, with a discussion of whether morality is a human invention, or is in some way objective. Some will prefer to start in the middle, asking about the supreme principle of morality (and whether there is any such thing). And others may want to begin at the beginning, by thinking about human well-being and the quality of life. Each part can be understood independently of the others, though there are of course many points of connection across the three main branches of moral philosophy. No matter where you begin, there are footnotes in most chapters that provide cross-references to relevant discussions elsewhere in the book. When beginning a new area of study, you're bound to encounter some unfamiliar jargon. I've tried to keep this to a minimum, and I suppose that you can be thankful that we're doing ethics here, rather than physics or anatomy. I define each technical term when I first use it, and have also put together a glossary, which appears at the end of the book. Each specialized term that appears in boldface has an entry there. You may be interested enough in what you read here that you'll want to continue your studies in moral philosophy. There is a natural place to begin-the companion volume to this book, The Ethical Life, described later in this preface. I have also compiled a list of Suggestions for Further Reading for each chapter or pair of chapters. This list appears at the end of the book, just before the glossary. I have selected the readings with an eye to what might be accessible and interesting to those just beginning their study of moral philosophy-- |
example of hedonistic calculus: The Happiness Philosophers Bart Schultz, 2017-05-09 A colorful history of utilitarianism told through the lives and ideas of Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and its other founders In The Happiness Philosophers, Bart Schultz tells the colorful story of the lives and legacies of the founders of utilitarianism—one of the most influential yet misunderstood and maligned philosophies of the past two centuries. Best known for arguing that it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong, utilitarianism was developed by the radical philosophers, critics, and social reformers William Godwin (the husband of Mary Wollstonecraft and father of Mary Shelley), Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart and Harriet Taylor Mill, and Henry Sidgwick. Together, they had a profound influence on nineteenth-century reforms, in areas ranging from law, politics, and economics to morals, education, and women's rights. Their work transformed life in ways we take for granted today. Bentham even advocated the decriminalization of same-sex acts, decades before the cause was taken up by other activists. As Bertrand Russell wrote about Bentham in the late 1920s, There can be no doubt that nine-tenths of the people living in England in the latter part of last century were happier than they would have been if he had never lived. Yet in part because of its misleading name and the caricatures popularized by figures as varied as Dickens, Marx, and Foucault, utilitarianism is sometimes still dismissed as cold, calculating, inhuman, and simplistic. By revealing the fascinating human sides of the remarkable pioneers of utilitarianism, The Happiness Philosophers provides a richer understanding and appreciation of their philosophical and political perspectives—one that also helps explain why utilitarianism is experiencing a renaissance today and is again being used to tackle some of the world's most serious problems. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Routledge Philosophy GuideBook to Mill on Utilitarianism Roger Crisp, 2002-09-11 Mill was one of the most important British philosophers of the nineteenth century; his Utilitarianism is a pivotal work in ethical thought. This book, written specifically for students coming to Mill - and perhaps philosophy - for the first time, will be an ideal guide. Mill on Utilitarianism introduces and assesses: * Mill's life and the background of Utilitarianism * the ideas and text of Utilitarianism * the continuing importance of Mill's work to philosophy This is the first book dedicated to Utilitarianism itself. Concisely written and engaging, it is perfect reading for those studying Mill or moral philosophy. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Practical Ethics Peter Singer, 2011-02-21 For thirty years, Peter Singer's Practical Ethics has been the classic introduction to applied ethics. For this third edition, the author has revised and updated all the chapters and added a new chapter addressing climate change, one of the most important ethical challenges of our generation. Some of the questions discussed in this book concern our daily lives. Is it ethical to buy luxuries when others do not have enough to eat? Should we buy meat from intensively reared animals? Am I doing something wrong if my carbon footprint is above the global average? Other questions confront us as concerned citizens: equality and discrimination on the grounds of race or sex; abortion, the use of embryos for research and euthanasia; political violence and terrorism; and the preservation of our planet's environment. This book's lucid style and provocative arguments make it an ideal text for university courses and for anyone willing to think about how she or he ought to live. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Can Virtue Make Us Happy? Otfried Hoffe, 2010-03-17 In Can Virtue Make Us Happy? The Art of Living and Morality, Otfried Hoffe, one of Europe's best-known philosophers, offers a far-reaching and foundational work in philosophical ethics. Hoffe uses clear, accessible language to present common understandings of happiness and freedom while illuminating the blind alleys in the history of philosophy. What has priority: good ends or right action? Is freedom always anarchy? Is it possible to think of a freedom enhanced by morality? Is morality merely a euphemism for stupidity? Does humanity have a good or a bad character? Is there such a thing as evil? Hoffe offers no simple formulas but provides enlightened philosophical reflection to fuel the reader's own examination of these questions. --Book Jacket. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Mind , 1907 A quarterly review of philosophy. |
example of hedonistic calculus: Principal Doctrines Epicurus, 2017-10-05 Epicurus posited a materialistic physics, in which pleasure, by which he meant freedom from pain, is the highest good. Serenity, the harmony of mind and body, is best achieved, through virtue and simple living. |
EXAMPLE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
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EXAMPLE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
EXAMPLE definition: 1. something that is typical of the group of things that it is a member of: 2. a way of helping…. Learn more.
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one of a number of things, or a part of something, taken to show the character of the whole. This painting is an example of his early work. a pattern or model, as of something to be imitated or …
Example - definition of example by The Free Dictionary
1. one of a number of things, or a part of something, taken to show the character of the whole. 2. a pattern or model, as of something to be imitated or avoided: to set a good example. 3. an …
Example Definition & Meaning - YourDictionary
To be illustrated or exemplified (by). Wear something simple; for example, a skirt and blouse.
EXAMPLE - Meaning & Translations | Collins English Dictionary
An example of something is a particular situation, object, or person which shows that what is being claimed is true. 2. An example of a particular class of objects or styles is something that …
example noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage …
used to emphasize something that explains or supports what you are saying; used to give an example of what you are saying. There is a similar word in many languages, for example in …
Example - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com
An example is a particular instance of something that is representative of a group, or an illustration of something that's been generally described. Example comes from the Latin word …
example - definition and meaning - Wordnik
noun Something that serves as a pattern of behaviour to be imitated (a good example) or not to be imitated (a bad example). noun A person punished as a warning to others. noun A parallel …
EXAMPLE Synonyms: 20 Similar Words - Merriam-Webster
Some common synonyms of example are case, illustration, instance, sample, and specimen. While all these words mean "something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its …
EXAMPLE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of EXAMPLE is one that serves as a pattern to be imitated or not to be imitated. How to use example in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Example.
EXAMPLE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
EXAMPLE definition: 1. something that is typical of the group of things that it is a member of: 2. a way of helping…. Learn more.
EXAMPLE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
one of a number of things, or a part of something, taken to show the character of the whole. This painting is an example of his early work. a pattern or model, as of something to be imitated or …
Example - definition of example by The Free Dictionary
1. one of a number of things, or a part of something, taken to show the character of the whole. 2. a pattern or model, as of something to be imitated or avoided: to set a good example. 3. an …
Example Definition & Meaning - YourDictionary
To be illustrated or exemplified (by). Wear something simple; for example, a skirt and blouse.
EXAMPLE - Meaning & Translations | Collins English Dictionary
An example of something is a particular situation, object, or person which shows that what is being claimed is true. 2. An example of a particular class of objects or styles is something that …
example noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage …
used to emphasize something that explains or supports what you are saying; used to give an example of what you are saying. There is a similar word in many languages, for example in …
Example - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com
An example is a particular instance of something that is representative of a group, or an illustration of something that's been generally described. Example comes from the Latin word …
example - definition and meaning - Wordnik
noun Something that serves as a pattern of behaviour to be imitated (a good example) or not to be imitated (a bad example). noun A person punished as a warning to others. noun A parallel …
EXAMPLE Synonyms: 20 Similar Words - Merriam-Webster
Some common synonyms of example are case, illustration, instance, sample, and specimen. While all these words mean "something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its …