A colorful history of utilitarianism told through the lives and
ideas of Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and its other founders
In The Happiness Philosophers, Bart Schultz tells the colorful
story of the lives and legacies of the founders of
utilitarianism--one of the most influential yet misunderstood and
maligned philosophies of the past two centuries. Best known for
arguing that "it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number
that is the measure of right and wrong," utilitarianism was
developed by the radical philosophers, critics, and social
reformers William Godwin (the husband of Mary Wollstonecraft and
father of Mary Shelley), Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart and Harriet
Taylor Mill, and Henry Sidgwick. Together, they had a profound
influence on nineteenth-century reforms, in areas ranging from law,
politics, and economics to morals, education, and women's rights.
Their work transformed life in ways we take for granted today.
Bentham even advocated the decriminalization of same-sex acts,
decades before the cause was taken up by other activists. As
Bertrand Russell wrote about Bentham in the late 1920s, "There can
be no doubt that nine-tenths of the people living in England in the
latter part of last century were happier than they would have been
if he had never lived." Yet in part because of its misleading name
and the caricatures popularized by figures as varied as Dickens,
Marx, and Foucault, utilitarianism is sometimes still dismissed as
cold, calculating, inhuman, and simplistic. By revealing the
fascinating human sides of the remarkable pioneers of
utilitarianism, The Happiness Philosophers provides a richer
understanding and appreciation of their philosophical and political
perspectives--one that also helps explain why utilitarianism is
experiencing a renaissance today and is again being used to tackle
some of the world's most serious problems.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
