Equal Freedom and Utility: Herbert Spencer's Liberal Utilitarianism

ISBN-13: 9780521622646 / Angielski / Twarda / 1998 / 252 str.

David Weinstein

Opis

This rich and provocative study is the first to examine Herbert Spencer's critical role in the development of liberal utilitarian moral and political philosophy in the nineteenth century, as well as the success of his version of it. While several scholars correctly see Mill as a founder of liberal utilitarianism, none have appreciated Spencer's equally important formative role. Weinstein reinterprets Spencer's version of liberal utilitarianism and illustrates that his moral and political thought exhibits greater systematic integrity than received views of his thought acknowledge.

Recenzje

'Weinstein effectively dispels the longstanding view of Spencer as a relic of a bygone age. His restatement of Spencer's theory as a contribution to recent 'liberal utilitarian' thought does much to bring him to life and makes this book essential reading for contemporary political theorists.' Political Studies

Spis treści

Acknowledgements; Note on the text; Introduction; 1. Social evolution; 2. Social evolution and the moral psychology of equal freedom; 3. Equal freedom and moral rights; 4. Moral rights and utility; 5. The logical coherence of Spencer's liberal utilitarianism; 6. Spencer's ethical reasoning; 7. Land nationalization and property; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.