Utilitarianism in the Age of Enlightenment - The Moral and Political Thought of William Paley

Studies the influential tradition of 'theological utilitarianism' in the eighteenth century through the lens of William Paley's life and thought.

List of contents

Acknowledgements; Introduction; Part I. The Early Utilitarians: 1. The development of Lockean moral philosophy; 2. Abraham Tucker and the call for 'moral policy'; Part II. Paley's 'Moral Politics': 3. William Paley's moral thought; 4. 'Taking the pruning knife to the branch': expediency in action; 5. Natural theology as an aid to virtue; Part III. Paley's Politics: 6. Utility and the science of politics; 7. Utility and the constitution; 8. Paley on crimes and punishments; 9. Utility and toleration; Part IV. Property and Poverty: 10. The problem of poverty; 11. From Paley to Malthus: utility and society after 1785; Conclusion; Select bibliography.

About the author

Niall O' Flaherty is a Lecturer in the History of European Political Thought at King's College London. His research focuses on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century moral, political and religious thought in Britain. He has published articles on William Paley and Thomas Robert Malthus, and is currently writing a book entitled Malthus and the Discovery of Poverty (forthcoming).

Summary

Charts the evolution of 'theological utilitarianism', one of the most influential traditions in eighteenth-century Anglophone moral and political thought, and addresses the contested issue of whether there was an 'English Enlightenment', through the life and thought of moral philosopher and clergyman, William Paley (1743–1805).

Product details

• Authors: Niall O'Flaherty, Niall (King's College London) O'Flaherty, Niall (King''s College London) O''flaherty, O'Flaherty Niall
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.12.2018
• EAN: 9781108474474
• ISBN: 978-1-108-47447-4
• No. of pages: 360
• Series: Ideas in Context; Ideas in Context
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Philosophy > General, dictionaries; Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; England, History of Ideas, Political Ideologies, POLITICAL SCIENCE / History & Theory, Social & political philosophy, Ethics & moral philosophy, social and political philosophy, 18th century, c 1700 to c 1799, Ethics and moral philosophy, Political ideologies and movements, C 1700 To C 1800