From Thomas Hobbes to Jeremy Bentham, 'British Moralists' have questioned whether being virtuous makes you happy. Roger Crisp elucidates their views on happiness and virtue, self-interest and sacrifice, and well-being and morality, and highlights key themes such as psychological egoism, evaluative hedonism, and moral reason in their thought.
Roger Crisp presents a comprehensive study of Henry Sidgwick's The Methods of Ethics, a landmark work first published in 1874. Crisp argues that Sidgwick is largely right about central issues in moral philosophy: the metaphysics and epistemology of ethics, consequentialism, hedonism about well-being, and the weight to be given to self-interest.
Crisp's study delves into the significant themes of Sidgwick's The Methods of Ethics, highlighting its impact on moral philosophy since its 1874 publication. The analysis emphasizes Sidgwick's insights into the metaphysics and epistemology of ethics, as well as his views on consequentialism, hedonism regarding well-being, and the role of self-interest in ethical considerations. Crisp defends Sidgwick's positions as largely correct, offering a detailed examination of these foundational concepts in ethical theory.
Exploring fundamental questions in moral philosophy, the book delves into the nature of reasons for action, arguing that these reasons should not rely on moral concepts. It combines intuitionist epistemology with Pyrrhonist skepticism to explain how we understand reasons. The author defends a hedonistic theory of well-being and proposes a practical reason framework that allows for some priority of personal good over the collective. Original arguments are presented within a context of traditional yet less popular philosophical views, offering a fresh perspective on normative ethics.
An exploration of the characteristics of ley lines in general and of the topography of ley lines in Wessex in particular.
This expanded edition of John Stuart Mill's "Utilitarianism" includes the text of his 1868 speech to the British House of Commons defending the use of capital punishment in cases of aggravated murder. The speech is significant both because its topic remains timely and because its arguments illustrate the applicability of the principle of utility to questions of large-scale social policy.
This book introduces and assesses Mill's life and the background of Utilitarianism and its continuing importance to philosophical thought.