Moral philosophy (Mill) 4 tutorial reading list

This is a 4-tutorial reading list for the Oxford first year moral philosophy paper. Students may wish to also consult the philosophy faculty’s reading list available through WebLearn.

A required text for this paper is J.S. Mill’s Utilitarianism Mill, J. S. (1998). Utilitarianism. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Though I’ve recommended chapters of Mill for each essay, these are just the most relevant parts of Mill’s book. You would be well-advised to read the whole book cover to cover as soon as you can.

If you haven’t read it before, you might like to look at Jim Prior’s excellent guidelines on writing a philosophy essay.

1. Theories of Well-being

(*) Mill, J. S. (1998). Utilitarianism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, chs 1–2
(*) Smart, J. J. C. (. J. C. (1987). Utilitarianism : for and against (Repr. with corrections.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 12–27
(*) Nozick, R. (1974). Anarchy, state and Utopia. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, pp. 42–45
Crisp, R. (1997). Routledge philosophy guidebook to Mill on Utilitarianism. London: Routledge, ch 2

Essay question: Does Nozick’s “experience machine” argument refute Mill’s hedonism? Would alternative theories of well-being (e.g. the desire theory, an objective list theory) do better than hedonism? OR What is the difference between Mill’s qualitative hedonism and Bentham’s quantitative hedonism? Which is more plausible as a theory of well-being?

2. Forms of utilitarianism

(*) Mill, J. S. (1998). Utilitarianism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, ch 2-3
(*) Rawls, J. (1955). Two Concepts of Rules. The Philosophical Review, 64(1), 3–32 http://www.jstor.org/stable/2182230
(*) Smart, J. J. C. (. J. C. (1987). Utilitarianism : for and against (Repr. with corrections.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 9-12
Crisp, R. (1997). Routledge philosophy guidebook to Mill on Utilitarianism. London: Routledge, ch 5

Essay question: What is the difference between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism? Which is the superior form of utilitarianism?

3. Objections to utilitarianism

(*) Mill, J. S. (1998). Utilitarianism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, ch 5
(*) Rawls, J. (1999). A Theory of Justice, Revised Edition. Belknap Press, pp. 22-27
(*) Smart, J. J. C. (. J. C. (1987). Utilitarianism : for and against (Repr. with corrections.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 67-73
(*) Smart, J. J. C. (. J. C. (1987). Utilitarianism : for and against (Repr. with corrections.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 82-118
Crisp, R. (1997). Routledge philosophy guidebook to Mill on Utilitarianism. London: Routledge, ch 7

Essay question: Does Mill succeed in giving a satisfactory account of justice? Can any utilitarian do so? OR What is Williams’s integrity objection to utilitarianism? Is it is a good objection?

4. Mill’s “proof” and the naturalistic fallacy

(*) Mill, J. S. (1998). Utilitarianism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, ch 4
(*) Moore, G. E. (. E. (1903). Principia ethica. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ch 3
Prior, A. N. (. N. ) (1949). Logic and the basis of ethics. Oxford: Clarendon Press, ch 1
Searle, J. R. (1964). How to Derive “Ought” From “Is”. The Philosophical Review, 73(1), 43–58 http://www.jstor.org/stable/2183201

Essay question: What is the “naturalistic fallacy”? Does Mill commit the naturalistic fallacy? If not, why not; if so, is this a problem for Mill’s utilitarianism?

Updated: 13 Mar 2015 12:12

About me

Until September 2016 I am a Tutorial Fellow in Philosophy at Corpus Christi College and an Associate Professor in the Oxford Philosophy Faculty. From then on, I'll be a Senior Adviser at the New Zealand Ministry of Transport.

My intellectual interests are mainly in metaphysics, philosophy of language, and ethics, and of course transport policy.

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Moral philosophy (“Mill”) 4 tutorial reading list

Josh Parsons