Well-Being and Theism Linking Ethics to God [Paperback]

Well-Being and Theism is divided into two distinctive parts. The first part argues that desire-fulfillment welfare theories fail to capture the 'good' part of 'good for', and that objective list welfare theories fail to capture the 'for' part of 'good for'. Then, with the aim of capturing both of these parts of 'good for', a hybrid theory-one which places both a value constraint and a desire constraint on well-being-is advanced. Lauinger then defends this proposition, which he calls the desire-perfectionism theory, against possible objections.

In the second part, Lauinger explores the question of what metaphysics best supports the account of well-being defended in the first part. It is argued that there are two general metaphysical routes that might convincingly be taken here, and that each one leads us toward theism.

William A. Lauinger is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Chestnut Hill College, PA, USA.

Introduction

Part One: The No Priority Theory

Chapter One: General Remarks on Theories of Well-Being

Chapter Two: Desire-fulfillment Theories

Chapter Three: Objective List Theories

Chapter Four: The No Priority Theory

Chapter Five: Hybrid Theories in General

Part Two: What Metaphysics Best Supports the Proposed Account of Well-Being?

Chapter Six: An Evolutionary Grounding for the No Priority Theory

Chapter Seven: An Aristotelian Grounding for the No Priority Theory

Chapter Eight: On Desires as Infinite in Character

Conclusion
Bibliography
Index