Contemporary Ethics: Taking Account of Utilitarianism (Contemporary Philosophy) [Hardcover]

William Shaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 14, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0631202935 | ISBN-13: 978-0631202936 | Edition: 1

Aimed at undergraduates, Contemporary Ethics presupposes little or no familiarity with ethics and is written in a clear and engaging style. It provides students with a sympathetic but critical guide to utilitarianism, explaining its different forms and exploring the debates it has spawned. The book leads students through a number of current issues in contemporary ethics that are connected to controversies over and within utilitarianism. At the same time, it uses utilitarianism to introduce students to ethics as a subject. In these ways, the book is not only a guide to utilitarianism, but also an introduction to some standard problems of ethics and to several important topics in contemporary ethical theory.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Shaw sets out to do two things: to introduce students to moral philosophy in general, and to explore utilitarianism in all its facets. He has pulled off this dual task better than one could have imagined. All the central questions in moral philosophy are discussed, and without this ever seeming to be irrelevant to the full discussion of utilitarianism. Shaw's interweaving of the topics is simply mawsterful." Brad Hooker, University of Reading

" Shaw's book has many strengths. Throughout, it is informed by an impressive familiarity with not only the current content but also the history of utilitarian thought; and the historical material, though ample, never compromises either the topical unity of each chapter or the logical progression of the book. Moreover, the overall organization of the book is thoughtful, with the second half of the book not only succeeding but effectively reinforcing and deepening - but without being repetitive of - the first half. As a result of this subtle construction (but also because of its thoroughness), this book is longer than...others, but Shaw's polished and unobtrusive writing style make it easy to get through. Perhaps its greatest strength, though, is its honesty and fairness: although Shaw is clearly a supporter of utilitarianism, he explains its rivals sympathetically, and he openly acknowledges those points where utilitarianism is weak. This fairness, as well as being intrinsically desirable, makes the book very safe for use in the classroom...It is easily the best of these books for most purposes generally and as an introduction to utilitarianism specifically." Ben Eggleston, Mind, Vol.109, No.436, October 2000.

From the Back Cover

Aimed at undergraduates, Contemporary Ethics presupposes little or no familiarity with ethics and is written in a clear and engaging style.

It provides students with a sympathetic but critical guide to utilitarianism, explaining its different forms and exploring the debates it has spawned. The book leads students through a number of current issues in contemporary ethics that are connected to controversies over and within utilitarianism. At the same time, it uses utilitarianism to introduce students to ethics as a subject.

In these ways, the book is not only a guide to utilitarianism, but also an introduction to some standard problems of ethics and to several important topics in contemporary ethical theory.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (January 14, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631202935
• ISBN-13: 978-0631202936
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,948,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to utilitarian ethics, October 17, 1999

By 

Robert W. McGee (Sunny Isles Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Contemporary Ethics: Taking Account of Utilitarianism (Contemporary Philosophy) (Hardcover)

Shaw's book provides an excellent introduction to utilitarian ethics. Shaw covers not only the basics, which would be of interest mostly to those unfamiliar with the topic, but also goes into enough detail to stimulate thinking for those who already have a solid grasp of utilitarianism. He covers all the bases. Although he himself espouses utilitarianism as the preferred ethical philosophy, he gives a fair presentation of opposing views. Thus, he is not merely selling an agenda but exposes the reader to views that differ from his. Shaw's book provides many good references that ethical scholars can use to further their own research. But the book is not intended merely for scholars. It would also serve as an excellent text for a course on ethics.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid defense of intelligent utilitarianism, December 20, 2002

By 

Jonathan Ichikawa "cool dude" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Contemporary Ethics: Taking Account of Utilitarianism (Contemporary Philosophy) (Paperback)

Utilitarianism -- the ethical theory that the moral action is the one that results in the most happiness or utility -- has been subjected to the same objections over and over again since its introduction by Bentham and Mill -- utilitarianism is wrong, because it condones the killing of innocents, it fails to respect human rights, it fails to condemn lying, etc. William Shaw gives an easily-understood but nuanced defense of utilitarian ethics, giving it a credibility that many people fail to recognize after a short consideration. By considering the difference between an institution and an individual, the difference between what is right and what is admirable, and the implications of human limitations, Shaw gives a version of utilitarianism that is very simple to state, but surprisingly nuanced and complex to apply.
This text is ideal for an introdutory ethics or consequentialism class that intends to consider utilitarianism seriously.

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book for a goodly number, June 1, 2009

By 

toronto - See all my reviews

This review is from: Contemporary Ethics: Taking Account of Utilitarianism (Contemporary Philosophy) (Hardcover)

This really is an excellent book. It is perhaps -- in spite of what the author says -- most worth reading after someone has read Mill's Utilitarianism (which is itself a fine read). The best thing about this book is the thoroughness and clarity of the writing. Perhaps the author is a bit too easy on utilitarianism, but he puts his cards quite openly on the table. Another excellent aspect of the book is the wide referencing (the bibliography alone is worth the price of the book). I would highly recommend this to an undergraduate student in philosophy, and to that elusive general reader one has heard rumours of.