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A New Approach to Utilitarianism

A Unified Utilitarian Theory and Its Application to Distributive Justice

  • Book
  • © 1991

Overview

Authors:
  1. C. L. Sheng

    1. Tamkang University, Germany

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Part of the book series: Theory and Decision Library A: (TDLA, volume 5)

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Table of contents (17 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvi
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  2. A Unified Utilitarian Theory

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Introduction

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 3-37

    3. A Particular Interpretation of Utilitarianism

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 38-63

    4. Basic Principles

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 64-99

    5. A Theory of Value

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 100-135

    6. Decision-Making and Moral Actions

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 136-179

    7. Moral Judgment and Justification

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 180-236

    8. Comparisons with Other Theories

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 237-282

    9. Summary, Refutation of Objections, and a General View

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 283-323

  3. A Utilitarian Theory of Distributive Justice

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 325-325
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    2. The General Distribution Problem and Distributive Justice

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 327-354

    3. Maximization of Utility and the Objective Function

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 355-400

    4. The Constraint

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 401-433

    5. Interpretation of Measures of Deviation from Ideal

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 434-454

    6. A Proposal of Contribution as a Pattern for Distribution

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 455-469

    7. Comments on Free-Market, Libertarianism, Nozick and Rawls

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 470-489

    8. Randomness and Distribution

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 490-511

    9. Income Tax, Social Welfare, Salary Systems and Private Property

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 512-538

    10. General Social Welfare Functions and an Overall Picture

      • C. L. Sheng
      Pages 539-563
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Keywords

About this book

1.1 Utilitarian Theories This book is a monograph on moral philosophy and social philosophy, particularly the part of the philosophy of economics that is related to the general distribution problem. It presents a comprehensive ethical theory, together with an application of the theory to distributive justice. The viewpoint of this theory is utilitarian. However, this theory is different in some crucial points, as well as in minor details, from all existing forms of utilitarianism. Moral philosophy deals essentially with the moral judgment of actions, i. e., whether a moral action is right or wrong, good or bad. The judgment is usually based on a line of logical reasoning, which can be traced to a final reason called the justification or ultimate principle. An ethical theory is a self-consistent system built upon a basic, or ultimate, principle. An ultimate principle can never be rigorously proven, and is not unique. Different philosophers establish different ethical theories upon different principles. Therefore, in the history of development of moral philosophy, there have been a large number of ethical theories and schools. Even wi thin the same school having the same ultimate principle, different philosophers may have different versions of the theory, because of small variations in the interpretation of the ultimate principle or in the elaboration of the details.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Tamkang University, Germany

    C. L. Sheng

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: A New Approach to Utilitarianism

  • Book Subtitle: A Unified Utilitarian Theory and Its Application to Distributive Justice

  • Authors: C. L. Sheng

  • Series Title: Theory and Decision Library A:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3192-6

  • Publisher: Springer Dordrecht

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1991

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-7923-1301-4Published: 31 July 1991

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-94-010-5408-9Published: 31 October 2012

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-011-3192-6Published: 06 December 2012

  • Series ISSN: 0921-3384

  • Series E-ISSN: 2352-2119

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVI, 577

  • Topics: Ethics, Operations Research/Decision Theory, Microeconomics, Political Philosophy

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