Understanding Utilitarianism

Understanding Movements in Modern Thought

by Tim Mulgan

Utilitarianism - a philosophy based on the principle of the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people - has been hugely influential over the past two centuries. Beyond ethics or morality, utilitarian assumptions and arguments abound in modern economic and political life, especially in public policy. An understanding of utilitarianism is indeed essential to any understanding of contemporary society. "Understanding Utilitarianism" presents utilitarianism very much as a living tradition. The book begins with a summary of the classical utilitarianism of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Subsequent chapters trace the development of the central themes of utilitarian thought over the twentieth century, covering such questions as: What is happiness? Is happiness the only valuable thing? Is utilitarianism about acts or rules or institutions? Is utilitarianism unjust, or implausibly demanding, or impractical? and Where might utilitarianism go in the future?

Genres: Philosophy

200 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2007

Reviews

[Daniel Hageman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a clear and fantastic overview of utilitarianism..its many strands, history, and points of opposition. Probably one of the most interesting books I've read this year, and I look forward to comparing it to more work within this specific area of moral philosophy.

[Sinta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read chapters 1, 5 & 6 for my ethics paper (Phil 102).

Absolutely brilliant, in-depth interrogation of Utilitarianism. I've called myself a hesitant utilitarian for a while now. I agreed with the base assumption that consequences should dictate the moral quality of an action, however, I was always concerned about the practicality of calculations and the potential consequences for minority groups (though not concerned about the demandingness - just because it is unpalatable does not mean it is not what is required of us). Fortunately, through this book, I found something a bit closer to my views - moderate prioritarianism. After doing a modern political theory paper centred around Rawls, I've been searching for a synthesis between the difference principle (now I know comes under lexical prioritarianism) and classical utilitarianism. This is it! It works under a utilitarian framework but gives more weight to the well-being of those who are worst-off.

Would love to read the rest of this book post-exams, out of interest.

[Ugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly I should say that this book is written not for the interested lay reader (myself), but for undergraduate students, and as such it delves a little more deeply into the distinctions between the different types of utilitarianism than perhaps the lay reader will be interested in. Having said that, on the whole I found it very interesting, clear and engaging, and it certainly gave me a much better understanding of what utilitarianism is. Much more welcomely than that, it also helped me to figure out my own stance on charity and on the responsibilities of individuals to, well, everyone else. The book contains many examples of moral dilemmas to illustrate the various arguments and objections concerning utilitarianism, and also provides a great deal of pointers into related areas of ethics for the interested reader. Overall, highly recommended for those with at least a mild interest in the subject.

[Edwin Dalorzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Introduction to the Challenges of Utilitarianism

Covers the basics in great detail, adding historical information without overwhelming the reader, providing ample and provocative examples of the concepts and dozens of interesting thought experiments intended to highlight the pros and cons of every point of view. I believe this book was great!