2013 Reprint of 1928 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. This is still one of the best discussions of the 19th century Utilitarian movement in England-the rise of the Benthamites and the conflict between the growing economic philosophy and older philosophies that emphasized human and social values. Halevy discusses Locke, Newton, Gay, Hartley, Hume, Bentham, Adam Smith, Burke, Godwin, Malthus, James Mill, Ricardo, Grote and others. Remains a standard work to ...
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2013 Reprint of 1928 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. This is still one of the best discussions of the 19th century Utilitarian movement in England-the rise of the Benthamites and the conflict between the growing economic philosophy and older philosophies that emphasized human and social values. Halevy discusses Locke, Newton, Gay, Hartley, Hume, Bentham, Adam Smith, Burke, Godwin, Malthus, James Mill, Ricardo, Grote and others. Remains a standard work to this day.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. Very Good Dust Jacket. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. pp. 554. 554 pp. Tightly bound. Corners not bumped. Text is free of markings. No ownership markings. Light foxing top fore-edge. In very good red / orange dust jacket.
Halevy's book minutely dissects the grounds of utilitarian thinkng from its roots in Hume and Helvetius and then reveals how Bentham and James and John Stuart Mill developed a full-blown theory that attempted, with great success, to revolutionize British politics, law and economic thinking. Anyone interested in seeing just how revolutionary utilitarian thinking can be, even in our own time, especially the justifications for the many "sciences of the artificial," will find this book worthy of studying.
I had read portions of this book many years ago. What attracted me this time was my reading of Melville's Billy Budd, in which the narrator complains about the Benthamites and martial utilitarians. Not only did Halevy's book teach me about the prejudices of our own time, but it opened up new paths in my thinking about Melville's contribution to American political thought.