Utilitarianism as a Public Philosophy

Utilitarianism the great reforming philosophy of the nineteenth century has today acquired the reputation for being a crassly calculating impersonal philosophy unfit to serve as a guide to moral conduct. Yet what may disqualify utilitarianism as a personal philosophy makes it an eminently suitable guide for public officials in the pursuit of their professional responsibilities. Robert E. Goodin a philosopher with many books on political theory public policy and applied ethics to his credit defends utilitarianism against its critics and shows how it can be applied most effectively over a wide range of public policies. In discussions of such issues as paternalism social welfare policy international ethics nuclear armaments and international responses to the environment crisis he demonstrates what a flexible tool his brand of utilitarianism can be in confronting the dilemmas of public policy in the real world.