Thinking Through Utilitarianism
"A wonderfully executed introduction to utilitarianism that is unlike anything else on the market. It begins with a set of structural issues facing any ethical theory and then carefully shows how utilitarianism fills in that structure by considering the choices it faces at each step. In the way the reader is led from one distinction to the next (as each structural issue is addressed) and in the accessible, conversational style of the prose, the book also has the feel of a philosophical dialogue. It sets out the leading commitments of the view and then breaks down precisely how each commitment might be challenged and defended. The book will be an excellent resource for students who have already been introduced to utilitarianism and want to get clearer—much clearer—on the implications of accepting the view." —Piers Norris Turner, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Ethics and Human Values, The Ohio State University
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Thinking Through Utilitarianism: A Guide to Contemporary Arguments offers something new among texts elucidating the ethical theory known as Utilitarianism. Intended primarily for students ready to dig deeper into moral philosophy, it examines, in a dialectical and reader-friendly manner, a set of normative principles and a set of evaluative principles leading to what is perhaps the most defensible version of Utilitarianism. With the aim of laying its weaknesses bare, each principle is serially introduced, challenged, and then defended. The result is a battery of stress tests that shows with great clarity not only what is attractive about the theory, but also where its problems lie. It will fascinate any student ready for a serious investigation into what we ought to do and what is of value.
Reviews:
"A wonderfully executed introduction to utilitarianism that is unlike anything else on the market. It begins with a set of structural issues facing any ethical theory and then carefully shows how utilitarianism fills in that structure by considering the choices it faces at each step. In the way the reader is led from one distinction to the next (as each structural issue is addressed) and in the accessible, conversational style of the prose, the book also has the feel of a philosophical dialogue. It sets out the leading commitments of the view and then breaks down precisely how each commitment might be challenged and defended. The book will be an excellent resource for students who have already been introduced to utilitarianism and want to get clearer—much clearer—on the implications of accepting the view."
—Piers Norris Turner, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Ethics and Human Values, The Ohio State University
"Thinking Through Utilitarianism: A Guide to the Contemporary Arguments (‘TTU’) is a careful, precise piece of work that aims to lay out what its authors take to be the strongest case for Utilitarianism.
"TTU offers an excellent overview of many of the most impressive contemporary arguments in favor of utilitarianism, and therefore represents a useful resource for instructors who wish to move beyond the established canon of Bentham, Mill, Sidgwick, and perhaps Singer.
"I am not aware of a work that fits the same niche as TTU, or which matches it in terms of placing the most persuasive arguments in favor of a specific moral theory in one place."
"TTU offers an excellent overview of many of the most impressive contemporary arguments in favor of utilitarianism, and therefore represents a useful resource for instructors who wish to move beyond the established canon of Bentham, Mill, Sidgwick, and perhaps Singer.
"I am not aware of a work that fits the same niche as TTU, or which matches it in terms of placing the most persuasive arguments in favor of a specific moral theory in one place."
—Ben Davies, in Teaching Philosophy
"In Thinking Through Utilitarianism: A Guide to Contemporary Arguments, Andrew Forcehimes and Luke Semrau tackle the main problems and spare no effort to build a strong case for a widely disputed ethical theory. The book is well organized in three parts and does not hinge on historical or biographical details of classical utilitarians. With the exception of the first two chapters, which provide the basic concepts, the remaining chapters summarize and interact with recent work in the field. The explanations are straightforward, and the authors also inform readers how they plan to answer difficulties related to the nine principles discussed in the book. Although suitable for those already familiar with this normative theory, I believe the book will serve a wider audience.”
—"Thinking Through Utilitarianism is a helpful guide to recent arguments in support of utilitarianism that illustrates how well it undergoes critical scrutiny. Even though one may be familiar with some of the topics discussed, the detailed exposition of the arguments makes this volume a relevant contribution to the field.”
—Marco Oliveira in Journal of Moral Philosophy
About the authors:
Andrew T. Forcehimes is Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Nanyang Technological University.
Luke Semrau is Junior Faculty Fellow, Institute for the Study of Markets and Ethics, Georgetown University.
