Utilitarianism as a Public Philosophy [Paperback]

Goodin defends utilitarianism and shows how it can serve as an excellent guide to public policy makers.Discussions of a wide range of public issues--paternalism, social welfare policy, international ethics, nuclear armaments, and international responses to the environment crisis--demonstrate the flexibility of utilitarianism in confronting the real world dilemmas of public policy.Discussions of a wide range of public issues--paternalism, social welfare policy, international ethics, nuclear armaments, and international responses to the environment crisis--demonstrate the flexibility of utilitarianism in confronting the real world dilemmas of public policy.Robert E. Goodin, a philosopher with many books on political theory, public policy and applied ethics to his credit, defends utilitarianism against its critics and shows how it can be applied most effectively over a wide range of public policies. In discussions of such issues as paternalism, social welfare policy, international ethics, nuclear armaments, and international responses to the environment crisis, he demonstrates what a flexible tool his brand of utilitarianism can be in confronting the dilemmas of public policy in the real world.Part I. Introduction: Moral Bases of State Action: 1. Utilitarianism as a public philosophy; 2. The state as a moral agent; Part II. Morality, Public and Private: 3. Do motives matter?; 4. Government house utilitarianism; Part III. Shaping Private Conduct: 5. Responsibilities; 6. Distributing credit and blame; 7. Apportioning responsibilities; Part IV. Shaping Public Policies: Section A. Respecting and overriding preferences: 8. Liberalism and the best-judge principle; 9. Laundering preferences; 10. Heroic measures and false hopes; 11. Theories of compensation; Section B. Ensuring social security: 12. Stabilising expectations; 13. Compensation and redistribution; 14. Basic income; 15. Relative needs; C. International ethics; 16. What is so special about our fellow countrymen?; 17lj