The consequences of our actions are important. They matter. But if the utilitarian is right, then consequences are all that matters. Is this correct? The main principle of utilitarian moral theory, ...

Utilitarian judgment may arise not simply from enhanced cognitive control but also from diminished emotional processing and reduced empathy, according to new research. Is it permissible to harm one to ...

Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, Vol. 18, No. 4, Special Issue: BSET-2014 (August 2015), pp. 717-729 (13 pages) I argue that utilitarianism cannot accommodate a basic sort of moral judgment that ...

Conceptual frameworks drawn from theories that have shaped the study of ethics over centuries can help us recognize and describe ethical issues when we encounter them. In this way, a basic grasp of ...

This interview first appeared in The Browser, as part of the FiveBooks series. Previous contributors include Paul Krugman, Woody Allen and Ian McEwan. For a daily selection of new article suggestions ...