Search Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »
My library | Help | Advanced Book Search | Web History | Sign in

Books

Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics

Front Cover
2 Reviews
Clarendon Press, 1996 - Philosophy - 239 pages
Moral philosophers agree that welfare matters. But they disagree about what it is, or how much it matters. Wayne Sumner presents an original theory of welfare, investigating its nature and discussing its importance. He considers and rejects all notable theories of welfare, both objective and subjective, including hedonism and theories founded on desire or preference. His own theory connects welfare closely with happiness or life satisfaction. Reacting against the value pluralism that currently dominates moral philosophy, he advances welfare as the only basic ethical value. He concludes by discussing the implications of this thesis for ethical and political theory. Written in clear, non-technical language, and including a definitive survey of other work in this area, Sumner's book is essential reading for moral philosophers, political theorists, and welfare economists.

What people are saying - Write a review

Review: Welfare Happiness and Ethics

User Review  - Ft. Sheridan - Goodreads

nah, objective theories of well-being are better. Read full review

Review: Welfare Happiness and Ethics

User Review  - Cat in the Hay - Goodreads

Attempting to constrain a subjective theory well-being with objective standards can get to be quite a mess, not to mention rather paternalistic. Read full review

Related books

The Ethics of Welfare: Human Rights, Dependency, and Responsibility
The Ethics of Welfare: Human Rights, Dependency, and Responsibility
Hartley Dean
Limited preview - 2004
Well-Being: Its Meaning, Measurement and Moral Importance
Well-Being: Its Meaning, Measurement and Moral Importance
JAMES GRIFFIN
No preview available - 1988
The Moral Foundation of Rights
The Moral Foundation of Rights
L. W. Sumner
No preview available - 1987
All related books »

Other editions - View all

Welfare, Happiness, & Ethics
Welfare, Happiness, & Ethics
L. W. Sumner
No preview available - 1999
Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics
Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics
L. W. Sumner
No preview available - 1996

References to this book

From other books

The Ethics Challenge in Public Service: A Problem-Solving Guide
The Ethics Challenge in Public Service: A Problem-Solving Guide
Carol W. Lewis,Stuart C. Gilman
Limited preview - 2005
Contemporary Ethics: Taking Account of Utilitarianism
Contemporary Ethics: Taking Account of Utilitarianism
William H. Shaw
No preview available - 1999
All Book Search results »

From Google Scholar

Is Sen’s Capability Approach an Adequate Basis for Considering ...
On the validity of utility statements: standard theory versus ...
Heinz Holländer - 2001 - Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
On the intrinsic value of information objects and the infosphere
Luciano Floridi - 2002 - Ethics and Information Technology
Future Generations
Gustaf Arrhenius
All Scholar search results »

References from web pages

JSTOR: Welfare, Happiness and Ethics
Sumner, lw Welfare, Happiness and Ethics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. Pp. 239. $24.95 (paper). lw Sumner presents us with a theory of personal ...
links.jstor.org/ sici?sici=0014-1704(200101)111%3A2%3C441%3AWHAE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-8

Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics by lw Sumner at Questia Online Library
Moral philosophers agree that welfare matters. But they do not agree about what it is, or how much it matters. Wayne Sumner presents an original theory of ...
www.questia.com/ library/ book/ welfare-happiness-and-ethics-by-l-w-sumner.jsp

ebscohost Connection: Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics (Book).
Utilitas: Reviews the book 'Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics,' LW Sumner.
connection.ebscohost.com/ content/ article/ 1022820863.html;jsessionid=FDE0F7E0B5A4045C130CAE811B8C2004.ehctc1

WHAT IS WELFARE
Eggleston, Ben: Review of Sumner’s Welfare, Happiness and Ethics, ... Vallentyne, Peter: Book Review of Welfare, Happiness and Ethics by lw Sumner, ...
trappe13.dynamicweb.dk/ DWSDownload.asp?File=Files%2FFiler%2Fegalitarismandpluralism%2Fsumner_critique_12_01_06.doc

Jesse Reiblich - UF Journal of Undergraduate Research Paper
lw Sumner’s book Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics highlights what seems to be the most accurate and least problematic theory of welfare. ...
www.clas.ufl.edu/ jur/ 200603/ papers/ paper_reiblich.html

lw Sumner: Information and Much More from Answers.com
Sumner is the author of four books, including Welfare, Happiness and Ethics, [4] the most sophisticated philosophical discussion of the nature and normative ...
www.answers.com/ topic/ l-w-sumner

Autonomy, Subject-relativity, and Subjective and Objective ...
Sumner, lw Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996. Thomson, Garrett. Needs. London: Routldege and Kegan Paul, 1987. ...
www.springerlink.com/ index/ X754272724K0W470.pdf

WHAT IS WELFARE
I offer the present critical assessment because, since Sumner presented his theory of welfare in Welfare, Happiness and Ethics, his position has received ...
www.ruc.dk/ filo/ personale/ thomas_petersen/ publikationer/ sumner_critique_27.07.06_text.doc/

Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics - Boek - BESLIST.nl
Bekijk en vergelijk informatie, beoordelingen, vragen & antwoorden en de beste winkels voor 'Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics' op BESLIST.nl ▪ Boeken Engels ...
boeken_engels.beslist.nl/ boeken_engels/ d0000054959/ Welfare__Happiness__and_Ethics.html

WELFARE AND THE ACHIEVEMENT OF GOALS Is it in your best interests ...
SIMON KELLER. WELFARE AND THE ACHIEVEMENT OF GOALS. (Accepted 25 September 2003). ABSTRACT. I defend the view that an individual’s welfare is in one respect ...
people.bu.edu/ stk/ Papers/ Welfare_Achievement.pdf

About the author (1996)


Wayne Sumner is Professor in the Department of Philosophy and the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto. He is the author of The Moral Foundations of Rights (OUP 1987) and Abortion and Moral Theory, and is co-editor with Joseph Boyle of Philosophical Perspectives on Bioethics.

Bibliographic information

QR code for Welfare, Happiness, and Ethics
TitleWelfare, Happiness, and Ethics
AuthorL. W. Sumner
Editionillustrated, reprint
PublisherClarendon Press, 1996
ISBN0198244401, 9780198244400
Length239 pages
Subjects › 

Philosophy / Ethics & Moral Philosophy
Philosophy / Political
Political Science / History & Theory
Social Science / General
  
Export CitationBiBTeX EndNote RefMan