Utilitarianism and Malthus’ Virtue Ethics
Respectable, Virtuous and Happy
By Sergio Cremaschi | Publisher: Taylor and Francis
About the book
The die-hard image of Malthus the ogre has not completely disappeared yet. And yet, Malthus showed no less concern than Adam Smith for the labouring poor. In order to make full sense of such expression of concern and to appraise their relevance in Malthus’s work, we need to know what moral philosophy, what view of natural science, and what view of the \"moral and political science\" Malthus endorsed.
This book reconstructs Malthus’s meta-ethics, his normative ethics and his applied ethics on such topics as population, poverty, sexuality and war and slavery. They show how Malthus’s understanding of his own population theory and political economy was that of sub-disciplines of moral and political philosophy. Empirical enquiries required in order to be able to pronounce justified value judgments on such matters as the Poor Laws. But Malthus’s population theory and political economy were no value-free science and his non-utilitarian policy advice resulted from his overall system of ideas and was explicitly based on a set of familiar moral assumptions.
It is mistaken to claim that Malthus’s explanation of disharmony by reference to Divine Wisdom is extraneous to analysis and without influence on the theory of policy; it is true instead that theological consequentialist considerations were appealed to in order to provide a justification for received moral rules, but these were meant to justify a rather traditional normative ethics, quite far from Benthamite ‘new morality’.
Editions of Utilitarianism and Malthus’ Virtue Ethics
- EBook
- ISBN 9781317819257
- PDF
- ISBN 9781317819264
Read an Excerpt
The die-hard image of Malthus the ogre has not completely disappeared yet. And yet, Malthus showed no less concern than Adam Smith for the labouring poor. In order to make full sense of such expression of concern and to appraise their relevance in Malthus’s work, we need to know what moral philosophy, what view of natural science, and what view of the \"moral and political science\" Malthus endorsed.
This book reconstructs Malthus’s meta-ethics, his normative ethics and his applied ethics on such topics as population, poverty, sexuality and war and slavery. They show how Malthus’s understanding of his own population theory and political economy was that of sub-disciplines of moral and political philosophy. Empirical enquiries required in order to be able to pronounce justified value judgments on such matters as the Poor Laws. But Malthus’s population theory and political economy were no value-free science and his non-utilitarian policy advice resulted from his overall system of ideas and was explicitly based on a set of familiar moral assumptions.
It is mistaken to claim that Malthus’s explanation of disharmony by reference to Divine Wisdom is extraneous to analysis and without influence on the theory of policy; it is true instead that theological consequentialist considerations were appealed to in order to provide a justification for received moral rules, but these were meant to justify a rather traditional normative ethics, quite far from Benthamite ‘new morality’.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Utilitarianism and Malthus’ Virtue Ethics about?
The die-hard image of Malthus the ogre has not completely disappeared yet. And yet, Malthus showed no less concern than Adam Smith for the labouring poor. In order to make full sense of such expression of concern and to appraise their relevance in Malthus’s work, we need to know what moral philosophy, what view of natural science, and what view of the \"moral and political science\" Malthus endorsed.
This book reconstructs Malthus’s meta-ethics, his normative ethics and his applied ethics on such topics as population, poverty, sexuality and war and slavery. They show how Malthus’s understanding of his own population theory and political economy was that of sub-disciplines of moral and political philosophy. Empirical enquiries required in order to be able to pronounce justified value judgments on such matters as the Poor Laws. But Malthus’s population theory and political economy were no value-free science and his non-utilitarian policy advice resulted from his overall system of ideas and was explicitly based on a set of familiar moral assumptions.
It is mistaken to claim that Malthus’s explanation of disharmony by reference to Divine Wisdom is extraneous to analysis and without influence on the theory of policy; it is true instead that theological consequentialist considerations were appealed to in order to provide a justification for received moral rules, but these were meant to justify a rather traditional normative ethics, quite far from Benthamite ‘new morality’.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Utilitarianism and Malthus’ Virtue Ethics?
Economics, Finance, Business and Management > Economics
Where can I read a sample of Utilitarianism and Malthus’ Virtue Ethics?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781317819257
Is Utilitarianism and Malthus’ Virtue Ethics part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Routledge Studies in the History of Economics
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Utilitarianism and Malthus’ Virtue Ethics?
Sergio Cremaschi
Who is the Publisher of the book Utilitarianism and Malthus’ Virtue Ethics?
Taylor and Francis
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Utilitarianism and Malthus’ Virtue Ethics is available as ebook(ISBN 9781317819257) and pdf(ISBN 9781317819264)