Title
The dimensions of consequentialism [electronic resource] : ethics, equality and risk / Martin Peterson.
ISBN
9781107033030
9781139613118 (electronic book)
Publication Details
Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2013.
Language
English
Description
ix, 217 p. : ill.
Call Number
BJ1031 .P48 2013
Dewey Decimal Classification
171/.5
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"-- Provided by publisher.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Access Note
Access limited to authorized users.
Machine generated contents note: 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.
