ENGLISH

Morals By Agreement

By David Gauthier

Book information

Publisher
Oxford University Press, USA
Year
1987
ISBN
0198249926, 9780198249924
Open Library ID
OL18434410M
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
2 MB (1577632 bytes)
Pages
378\360
Scanned
yes
Time added
2011-04-18 11:31:18

Description

Are moral principles actually principles of rational choice? Starting from the view that it is rational always to choose what will give one the greatest expectation of value or utility--and the common counter-claim that this procedure, applied in many situations, will actually leave people worse off than need be--Gauthier instead proposes a principle of cooperation whereby each must choose in accordance with a principle to which all can agree. He shows that not only does such a principle ensure mutual benefit and fairness, but also that each person may expect greater utility from actually adhering to a morality based on it, even though his other choice did not have that specific end primarily in view. In resolving what may appear to be a paradox, he establishes morals on the foundation of reason.

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