Goodness and Justice: A Consequentialist Moral Theory

by Joseph Mendola

• ISBN13: 9780521859530
• ISBN10: 0521859530
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-04-10
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

In Goodness and Justice, Joseph Mendola develops a unified moral theory that defends the hedonism of classical utilitarianism while evading utilitarianism's familiar difficulties by two modifications. His theory incorporates a new form of consequentialism. When, as is common, someone is engaged in conflicting group acts, it requires that one perform the role in that group that is most beneficent. The theory holds that overall value is distribution-sensitive, ceding maximum weight to the well-being of the worst-off sections of sentient lives. It is properly congruent with commonsense intuition and required by the true metaphysics of value, by the unconstituted natural good found in our world.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Part I. A Better Consequentialism: 2. Multiple-act consequentialism

3. Three objections

Part II. Hedonism: 4. Intuitive hedonism

5. Natural good

Part III. MAXIMIN

6. Just Construction

7. Maximin, risks, and flecks

Part IV. Advice for Atomic Agents

8. A coda.