Morals by Agreement (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780198249924)

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.

Author: David Gauthier
ISBN-10: 0198249926
ISBN-13: 9780198249924
Publisher: Clarendon Press
Language: English
Published: 07/09/1987
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.18lbs
Size: 8.49h x 5.42w x 0.90d