The dimensions of consequentialism : ethics, equality, and risk / Martin Peterson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Peterson, Martin, 1975- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Consequentialism (Ethics).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 217 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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.

Contents:

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: multi-dimensional deontic logic.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-139-61125-9

1-107-23814-5

1-139-62241-2

1-139-60941-6

1-139-61311-1

1-139-61683-8

1-139-62613-2

1-139-51924-7

OCLC:

843191692