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Introduction to Utilitarianism
By Utilitarianism.netPhilosophy
Introduction to Utilitarianism episodes
- Guest Essay: Virtues for Real-World Utilitarians
This article discusses how utilitarians should go about applying their philosophy in the real world. It argues that utilitarians should cultivate a set of utilitarian virtues, including moderate altruism, moral expansiveness, effectiveness-focus, truth-seeking, collaborativeness, and determination.
A longer version of this essay can be found here:
https://psyarxiv.com/w52zmThe original text contained 35 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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First published:
July 11th, 2023Source:
https://utilitarianism.net/guest-essays/virtues-for-real-world-utilitarians---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
29 min - Guest Essay: Naturalistic Arguments for Ethical HedonismMany deny that objective and universal moral truth exists. Many more deny that it can be empirically discovered within natural reality. The arguments in this essay seek to empirically discover objective and universal moral truth in natural reality. This truth is that pleasure is goodness.
The original text contained 38 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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First published:
July 11th, 2023Source:
https://utilitarianism.net/guest-essays/naturalistic-arguments-for-ethical-hedonism---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
37 min - Guest Essay: Utilitarianism and Research EthicsThis essay questions common assumptions about the philosophical foundations of research ethics. It argues that (I) utilitarianism can account for many core research ethics norms, (II) Kantian ethics may conflict with many core research ethics norms, and (III) a more utilitarian outlook would improve contemporary research ethics in concrete ways.
The original text contained 40 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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First published:
July 11th, 2023Source:
https://utilitarianism.net/guest-essays/utilitarianism-and-research-ethics---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
25 min - Guest Essay: Utilitarianism and Climate ChangeHow does utilitarianism direct us to respond to climate change? This essay explores the harms caused by carbon emissions, how the cost-effectiveness of reducing emissions compares to other global priorities, and what both individuals and governments ought to do in light of these facts.
The original text contained 16 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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First published:
July 11th, 2023Source:
https://utilitarianism.net/guest-essays/utilitarianism-and-climate-change---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
30 min - Guest Essay: Uncertainty and UtilitarianismWhen we’re less than fully certain of which moral view is correct, it may be wise to ‘hedge our bets’ by finding a compromise between the different views we find plausible. This essay especially explores the implications of moral uncertainty for utilitarian-friendly agents—those who have non-negligible confidence in utilitarianism or in some of its central claims.
The original text contained 13 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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First published:
July 11th, 2023Source:
https://utilitarianism.net/guest-essays/uncertainty-and-utilitarianism---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
25 min - Guest Essay: Bentham and Criminal LawJeremy Bentham (1748-1832) sought to design a set of legal and political institutions that would conform to the ‘principle of utility’, i.e. produce the most happiness. This article presents a survey of his famous work, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, and discusses Bentham’s thinking about what utilitarian criminal law would look like.
The original text contained 26 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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First published:
July 11th, 2023Source:
https://utilitarianism.net/guest-essays/bentham-and-criminal-law---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
31 min - Guest Essay: Utilitarianism and Nonhuman AnimalsThis essay advances three claims about utilitarianism and nonhuman animals. Utilitarianism plausibly implies, first, that all vertebrates and many invertebrates morally matter, but that some of these animals might matter more than others; second, that we should attempt to both promote animal welfare and respect animal rights in practice; and third, that we should prioritize farmed and wild animals and work to support them.
The original text contained 4 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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First published:
July 11th, 2023Source:
https://utilitarianism.net/guest-essays/utilitarianism-and-nonhuman-animals---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
31 min - Guest Essay: The Time-Relative Account of Interests
The utilitarian goal of promoting everyone’s interests is complicated by the Parfitian view that one’s self-interest across time is a matter of degree (based on psychological connectedness) rather than all-or-nothing identity. This essay introduces and explores the Time-Relative Account of Interests, which uniquely captures key intuitions about the relative misfortune of death at different stages of life.
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Outline:
(00:13) Introduction: Utilitarianism and Interests
(03:43) Egoistic Concern
(11:49) The Misfortune of Death
(17:44) The Divergent Lives Problem
(27:59) The No-Difference View
(36:21) Interests and Reasons
(39:44) An Asymmetry Between Benefits and Harms
(41:40) About the Author
(42:09) Want to learn more about utilitarianism?
(42:13) Guest Essays
The original text contained 9 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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First published:
September 7th, 2023Source:
https://www.utilitarianism.net/guest-essays/time-relative-account-of-interests---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
43 min - Guest Essay: Utilitarianism and Business Ethics
Maximizing profits can predictably diverge from what does the most good. When the two come apart, utilitarian principles imply that promoting well-being is more important than maximizing profits.
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Outline:
(00:11) Business ethics and moral theory
(03:00) Economic arguments and profit maximization
(11:23) Utilitarian objections to profit maximization
(13:22) Preference satisfaction and alternative accounts of welfare
(16:49) Resource distribution, willingness to pay, and social utility
(18:41) Externalities and other deviations from perfectly competitive markets
(21:46) Nonhuman animals
(23:26) Conclusion
The original text contained 16 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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First published:
January 1st, 2025Source:
https://www.utilitarianism.net/guest-essays/utilitarianism-and-business-ethics---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
25 min - Guest Essay: Utilitarian Political Philosophy
Utilitarianism offers an attractive approach to political philosophy that combines pragmatic attention to consequences with robust protections for individual liberty.
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Outline:
(00:11) Introduction
(02:01) Utility and the Goal of Politics
(04:04) Deferring to Authority
(11:52) Utility and Liberty
(18:01) Justice for Utilitarians
(21:21) Utilitarian Public Policy
(23:22) Universal Basic Income
(26:11) Futures Assemblies
(28:35) Open Borders
(30:34) Conclusion: The Utility of Politics
The original text contained 21 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.
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First published:
January 1st, 2025Source:
https://www.utilitarianism.net/guest-essays/utilitarian-political-philosophy---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
33 min
About Introduction to Utilitarianism
From the publisher's feed
A concise, accessible, and engaging introduction to modern utilitarianism.