Self consciousness

About this book

In this book, Matti Hayry shows how philosophers have misunderstood the very nature of utilitarianism since the turn of the nineteenth century and identifies the resulting problems in contemporary utilitarianism. Dr. Hayry argues that when the classical utilitarian principles of happiness, hedonism and impartiality are combined, the ensuing ethical theory may demand that we act immorally or unjustly. This is because the scope of the utilitarian theory has been extended too far. Liberal utilitarianism develops a more limited utilitarian theory which does not imply excessive moral obligations. Matti Hayry works out a system of applied ethics to assist in making moral decisions when liberal utilitarianism cannot be applied because the basic interests of the individuals involved are actually opposed to one another.