Moral Legislation: A Legal-Political Model for Indirect Consequentialist ReasoningThis is a book about moral reasoning: how we actually reason and how we ought to reason. It defends a form of "rule" utilitarianism whereby we must sometimes judge and act in moral questions in accordance with generally accepted rules, so long as the existence of those rules is justified by the good they bring about. The author opposes the currently more fashionable view that it is always right for the individual to do that which produces the most good. Among the salient topics covered are: an account of the utilitarian function in society of generally accepted moral rules; a discussion of how we interpret existing moral rules and create new ones; and a defense of "rule" utilitarianism against the charge that it either commits one to irrational rule worship, or collapses into a form of "act" utilitarianism. |
Contents
Introduction | 9 |
2 | 15 |
The advantages of collective strategies | 24 |
4 | 30 |
6 | 37 |
8 | 43 |
Relations between collective and individual rationality | 59 |
Publicity autonomy and objective act consequentialism | 88 |
The existence of rules and practices | 118 |
4 | 129 |
7 | 143 |
Some comparisons | 188 |
viii | 198 |
Summary and a look ahead | 218 |
| 225 | |
| 230 | |
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Moral Legislation: A Legal-Political Model for Indirect Consequentialist ... Conrad D. Johnson No preview available - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
accepted moral rule accepted rule act consequentialism act-consequentialist act-utilitarian principle adopt apply argue argument autonomy behavior better Brandt claim comply conception conflict consequences consequentialist constitute coordination critical decision procedure deontological distinction duty equally example exclude exclusionary reasons existing moral existing rule fact follow function H. L. A. Hart Hare's Hopi Ibid idea ideal important indignation individual intuitions J. S. Mill justified rule killing kind legislation maximize moral agents moral judgments moral reasoning moral thinking morally right morally wrong motivation notion objectively right obligation one's optimific overall OXFAM particular PF-principles plausible point of view practice primary principle prohibition public rules public standard question R. M. Hare rational person rationale Rawls Rawls's recognize relevant requires right action right-defining rules role rule utilitarianism sense simply situation snowy egrets social moral code social rules society strategies suppose theory things traits understand violation