Classical Utilitarianism from Hume to Mill

by Rosen,Frederick

• ISBN13: 9780415220941
• ISBN10: 0415220947
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-11-13
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This book presents a new interpretation of the principle of utility in moral and political theory based on the writings of the classical utilitarians. The writings of Adam Smith, William Paley and Jeremy Bentham are also considered.

Author Biography

Frederick Rosen is Professor of the History of Political Thought at University College London.

Table of Contents

Preface	x
Abbreviations	xiii
Introduction	1	(14)
The aims of the book	1	(2)
Some notes for moral philosophers	3	(6)
A briefer note for political and legal theorists	9	(6)
PART I
Utility and justice: Epicurus and the Epicurean tradition	15	(14)
Epicurus and ancient Epicureanism	16	(3)
Gassendi and modern Epicureanism	19	(4)
Gassendi's influence	23	(2)
Epicureanism in Grotius and Pufendorf	25	(4)
Reading Hume backwards: Utility as the foundation of morals	29	(29)
Utility in the Enquiry and Treatise	31	(2)
The foundational role of utility	33	(6)
Benevolence, justice and utility	39	(6)
Utility and morality	45	(2)
Enquiry versus Treatise	47	(1)
Hume and Bentham	48	(10)
The idea of utility in Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments	58	(24)
Utility and justice	60	(5)
Smith and Hume on justice	65	(2)
Smith on utility: illusion and reality	67	(9)
Smith, Hume, and philosophical systems	76	(4)
Smith and Bentham	80	(2)
Helvetius, the Scottish Enlightenment, and Bentham's idea of utility	82	(15)
Hume, Smith, and Helvetius	83	(3)
The role of the legislator	86	(2)
Utility and virtue	88	(4)
Helvetius and Bentham	92	(1)
De I'homme	93	(2)
Conclusion	95	(2)
The idea of utility in Smith's Wealth of Nations	97	(17)
The `invisible hand'	99	(5)
Unintended consequences and the division of labour	104	(2)
Liberty	106	(4)
Labour, liberty, and the progressive state	110	(4)
Bentham and Smith on liberty	114	(17)
The opposition to Bentham	116	(2)
Defence of Usury and Bentham's other writings	118	(3)
Bentham's critique of Smith	121	(8)
Bentham's title	129	(2)
William Paley as a utilitarian	131	(13)
Utility	134	(3)
Liberty	137	(5)
Conclusion	142	(2)
Liberty, utility, and the reform of the criminal law	144	(22)
Liberty and the criminal law	144	(3)
Crime and punishment in Beccaria	147	(5)
Bentham's theory of proportion	152	(5)
The debate over the death penalty	157	(3)
Transportation and imprisonment	160	(2)
Enlightenment and reform	162	(4)
J.S. Mill's hedonism	166	(19)
Mill and Carlyle	169	(3)
The Epicurean tradition	172	(2)
Quantity and quality	174	(6)
Socrates dissatisfied	180	(5)
J.S. Mill on justice and liberty	185	(24)
Justice and utility	186	(7)
Justice and liberty	193	(7)
Liberty and the fragility of truth	200	(9)
PART II
Punishment of the innocent	209	(11)
The idealist background	211	(3)
The post-utilitarian paradigm	214	(5)
The rejection of utilitarianism	219	(1)
Individual sacrifice and the greatest happiness	220	(12)
Bentham's ultimate principle	221	(2)
The status of pleasure and pain	223	(2)
Secondary principles and rights	225	(1)
Maximize and minimize	226	(2)
Equality and rights in Bentham and Mill	228	(4)
The tyranny of the majority	232	(13)
Majorities and minorities in practice	232	(2)
Interests, security, and equality	234	(3)
Popular sovereignty and majority rule	237	(1)
Democratic despotism	238	(3)
Tyranny of the majority	241	(4)
Negative liberty	245	(11)
Negative liberty in Hobbes and Bentham	246	(3)
Bentham and Berlin on civil and political liberty	249	(2)
Liberty and democracy	251	(3)
Negative liberty worth fighting for	254	(2)
Notes	256	(8)
Bibliography	264	(16)
Index	280