Utilitarianism
A Beginner's Guide to the Core Ideas and Modern Relevance of Utilitarianism, Including the Philosophies of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill and the Principle of the Greatest GoodBy Alex Omberg
Length2h 19m
About this audiobook
This guide demystifies the profound yet often misunderstood philosophy of Utilitarianism. It traces the school of thought from its radical roots with reformers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, who sought to create a "science of happiness." The book clearly explains the core tenet—the Greatest Happiness Principle—and explores its key variations, such as Bentham's quantitative "Felicific Calculus" versus Mill's distinction between higher and lower pleasures. It also confronts the theory's most challenging critiques through famous dilemmas like the Trolley Problem. By connecting foundational ideas to modern movements like Effective Altruism, this guide reveals Utilitarianism not as a historical relic, but as a living, breathing framework for improving the world.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★★ 5.0 (1)
GenreSelf-Help, Philosophy
Length2 hrs 19 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateAug 20, 2025
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Title Page
2Preface
3Chapter 1: The Radical Reformers - Bentham and Mill's Mission to Improve the World
4Chapter 2: The Greatest Happiness Principle - Measuring Right and Wrong
5Chapter 3: Bentham's Felicific Calculus - The Mathematics of Pleasure
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6Chapter 4: Mill's Qualitative Revolution - Higher and Lower Pleasures
7Chapter 5: Act vs. Rule Utilitarianism - When to Follow Principles
8Chapter 6: The Problem of Justice - When Individual Rights Conflict with General Welfare
9Chapter 7: Whose Happiness Counts? - The Circle of Moral Concern
10Chapter 8: Mill on Liberty - Protecting Individual Freedom in a Utilitarian Society
11Chapter 9: Utilitarian Economics - Cost-Benefit Analysis and Public Policy
12Chapter 10: Peter Singer and Effective Altruism - Maximizing Good in Practice
13Chapter 11: The Trolley Problem and Moral Intuitions
14Chapter 12: Utilitarianism and Personal Relationships
15Chapter 13: Measuring Well-Being - Happiness, Preference, and Human Flourishing
16Chapter 14: Critics and Alternatives - Deontology, Virtue Ethics, and Beyond
17Chapter 15: Living Utilitarian - Applying Consequentialist Thinking to Daily Life
18Conclusion: The Ongoing Utilitarian Project
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