Morality, Rules, and Consequences A Critical Reader

by Hooker, Brad; Mason, Elinor; Miller, Dale E.; Haslett, D W.; Hooker, Brad; Kagan, Shelly; Levy, Sanford S.; Lyons, David; Montague, Phillip; Mulgan, Tim; Pettit, Philip; Powers, Madison; Riley, Jonathan; Shaw, William H.; Smith, Michael; Thomas, Alan

• ISBN13: 9780742509702
• ISBN10: 0742509702
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-07-19
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

What determines whether an action is right or wrong? Morality, Rules, and Consequences: A Critical Reader explores for students and researchers the relationship between consequentialist theory and moral rules. Most of the chapters focus on rule consequentialism or on the distinction between act and rule versions of consequentialism. Contributors, among them the leading philosophers in the discipline, suggest ways of assessing whether rule consequentialism could be a satisfactory moral theory. These essays, all of which are previously unpublished, provide students in moral philosophy with essential material and ask key questions on just what the criteria for an adequate moral theory might be.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(5)
Brad Hooker
Elinor Mason
Dale E. Miller
Between Act and Rule: The Consequentialism of G. E. Moore	6	(21)
William H. Shaw
The Educational Equivalence of Act and Rule Utilitarianism	27	(13)
Sanford S. Levy
Defending Rule Utilitarianism	40	(31)
Jonathan Riley
Values, Obligations, and Saving Lives	71	(34)
D. W. Haslett
The Moral Opacity of Utilitarianism	105	(16)
David Lyons
Global Consequentialism	121	(13)
Philip Pettit
Michael Smith
Evaluative Focal Points	134	(22)
Shelly Kagan
Hooker's Use and Abuse of Reflective Equilibrium	156	(23)
Dale E. Miller
Consequentialism and the Subversion of Pluralism	179	(24)
Alan Thomas
Why Rule Consequentialism is not Superior to Ross-style Pluralism	203	(9)
Phillip Montague
Ruling Out Rule Consequentialism	212	(10)
Tim Mulgan
Reflective Equilibrium and Rule Consequentialism	222	(17)
Brad Hooker
Rule Consequentialism and the Value of Friendship	239	(16)
Madison Powers
Notes on Contributors	255	(2)
Index	257