Morality, Rules, and Consequences: A Critical Reader

Brad Hooker; Elinor Mason; Dale E. Miller

Published by Edinburgh University Press 2000

Morality, Rules, and Consequences

A Critical Reader

Brad Hooker , Elinor Mason and Dale E. Miller

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781474469319

Overview
Contents

About this book

What determines whether an action is right or wrong? One appealing idea is that a moral code ought to contain a number of rules that tell people how to behave and that are simple and few enough to be easily learned. Another appealing idea is that the consequences of actions matter, often more than anything else. Rule consequentialism tries to weave these two ideas into a general theory of morality. This theory holds that morally wrong actions are the ones forbidden by rules whose acceptance would maximize the overall good.

Morality, Rules and Consequences: A Critical Reader explores for students and researchers the relationship between consequentialist theory and moral rules. Most of the chapters focus on rule consequentialism or on the distinction between act and rule versions of consequentialism. Contributors, many of whom are the leading philosophers in the area, suggest ways of assessing whether rule consequentialism could be a satisfactory moral theory. These essays, all of which are previously unpublished, provide students in Moral Philosophy with essential material and ask key questions on just what the criteria for an adequate moral theory might be.

Key Features

The volume presents original scholarship on an important and developing area of contemporary moral philosophy
The contributors are the leading philosophers in the field
Advances debate about whether rule consequentialism is a satisfactory moral theory
A balanced collection containing essays by supporters of the theory and its critics

Contributors: David Haslett, Brad Hooker, Shelly Kagan, Sanford Levy, David Lyons, Dale E. Miller, Phillip Montague, Tim Mulgan, Philip Pettit, Madison Powers, Jonathan Riley, William Shaw, Michael Smith and Alan Thomas.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Introduction Brad Hooker, Elinor Mason and Dale E. Miller Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
1 Between Act and Rule: The Consequentialism of G. E. Moore William H. Shaw Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	6
2 The Educational Equivalence of Act and Rule Utilitarianism Sanford S. Levy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	27
3 Defending Rule Utilitarianism Jonathan Riley Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	40
4 Values, Obligations, and Saving Lives D. W. Haslett Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	71
5 The Moral Opacity of Utilitarianism David Lyons Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	105
6 Global Consequentialism Philip Pettit and Michael Smith Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	121
7 Evaluative Focal Points Shelly Kagan Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	134
8 Hooker's Use and Abuse of Reflective Equilibrium Dale E. Miller Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	156
9 Consequentialism and the Subversion of Pluralism Alan Thomas Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	179
10 Why Rule Consequentialism is not Superior to Ross-style Pluralism Phillip Montague Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	203
11 Ruling Out Rule Consequentialism Tim Mulgan Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	212
12 Reflective Equilibrium and Rule Consequentialism Brad Hooker Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	222
13 Rule Consequentialism and the Value of Friendship Madison Powers Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	239
Notes on Contrihutors Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	255
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	257

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Audience: College/higher education;
Pages
- Main content: 272
Keywords: Philosophy

eBook

Published: June 28, 2000
ISBN: 9781474469319