The Dimensions of Consequentialism: Ethics, Equality and Risk

Consequentialism, one of the major theories of normative ethics, maintains that the moral rightness of an act is determined solely by the act's consequences. The traditional form of consequentialism is one-dimensional, in that the rightness of an act is a function of a single moral aspect, such as the sum total of wellbeing it produces. In this book Martin Peterson introduces a new type of consequentialist theory: multidimensional consequentialism. According to this theory, an act's moral rightness depends on several separate dimensions, including individual wellbeing, equality and risk. Peterson's novel approach shows that moral views about equality and risk that were previously thought to be mutually incompatible can be rendered compatible, and his precise theoretical discussion helps the reader to understand better the distinction between consequentialist and non-consequentialist theories. His book will interest a wide range of readers in ethics.

Author: Martin Peterson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 05/20/2013
Pages: 228
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.06lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781107033030

Review Citation(s):
Choice 12/01/2013

About the Author
Peterson, Martin: - Martin Peterson is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands. He is author of Non-Bayesian Decision Theory (2008) and An Introduction to Decision Theory (Cambridge, 2009).