Contemporary Ethics: Taking Account of Utilitarianism: 1 (Contemporary Philosophy) - Tapa blanda

"Shaw sets out to do two things: to introduce students to moral philosophy in general, and to explore utilitarianism in all its facets. He has pulled off this dual task better than one could have imagined. All the central questions in moral philosophy are discussed, and without this ever seeming to be irrelevant to the full discussion of utilitarianism. Shaw's interweaving of the topics is simply mawsterful." Brad Hooker, University of Reading " Shaw's book has many strengths. Throughout, it is informed by an impressive familiarity with not only the current content but also the history of utilitarian thought; and the historical material, though ample, never compromises either the topical unity of each chapter or the logical progression of the book. Moreover, the overall organization of the book is thoughtful, with the second half of the book not only succeeding but effectively reinforcing and deepening - but without being repetitive of - the first half. As a result of this subtle construction (but also because of its thoroughness), this book is longer than...others, but Shaw's polished and unobtrusive writing style make it easy to get through. Perhaps its greatest strength, though, is its honesty and fairness: although Shaw is clearly a supporter of utilitarianism, he explains its rivals sympathetically, and he openly acknowledges those points where utilitarianism is weak. This fairness, as well as being intrinsically desirable, makes the book very safe for use in the classroom...It is easily the best of these books for most purposes generally and as an introduction to utilitarianism specifically." Ben Eggleston, Mind, Vol.109, No.436, October 2000.

Aimed at undergraduates, Contemporary Ethics presupposes little or no familiarity with ethics and is written in a clear and engaging style. It provides students with a sympathetic but critical guide to utilitarianism, explaining its different forms and exploring the debates it has spawned. The book leads students through a number of current issues in contemporary ethics that are connected to controversies over and within utilitarianism. At the same time, it uses utilitarianism to introduce students to ethics as a subject. In these ways, the book is not only a guide to utilitarianism, but also an introduction to some standard problems of ethics and to several important topics in contemporary ethical theory.