The Dimensions of Consequentialism
Ethics, Equality and Risk
1st Edition
Published on 9. April 2013
978-1-139-60438-3 (ISBN)
Description
Consequentialism, one of the major theories of normative ethics, maintains that the moral rightness of an act is determined solely by the act's consequences. The traditional form of consequentialism is one-dimensional, in that the rightness of an act is a function of a single moral aspect, such as the sum total of wellbeing it produces. In this book Martin Peterson introduces a new type of consequentialist theory: multidimensional consequentialism. According to this theory, an act's moral rightness depends on several separate dimensions, including individual wellbeing, equality and risk. Peterson's novel approach shows that moral views about equality and risk that were previously thought to be mutually incompatible can be rendered compatible, and his precise theoretical discussion helps the reader to understand better the distinction between consequentialist and non-consequentialist theories. His book will interest a wide range of readers in ethics.
Reviews / Votes
'... full of mathematical proofs and engages with related literature and selected intuitions ...' S. E. Forschler, ChoiceMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Cambridge University Press
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
13 Tables, black and white; 2 Halftones, unspecified
File size
1,78 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-139-60438-3 (9781139604383)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
03/2013
Cambridge University Press
€77.00
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Martin Peterson is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands. He is author of Non-Bayesian Decision Theory (2008) and An Introduction to Decision Theory (Cambridge, 2009).
Content
Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Degrees of rightness; 3. First dimension: persons; 4. Second dimension: equality; 5. Third dimension: risk; 6. Multidimensional decision making; 7. The best one-dimensional theory; 8. The limits of consequentialism; Appendix: multidimensional deontic logic.
