Re: Hard Times

From: Jason Corley (corleyj@CHRONIC.LPL.ARIZONA.EDU)
Date: Mon Mar 01 1999 - 06:46:09 PST


On Mon, 1 Mar 1999, David Parker wrote:


> Its [utilitarianism's]
> effects in the fields of education and political economy were pernicious,
> and roused me to fierce indignation.  That is what I tried to show in my
> book "Hard Times."
>


I am not familiar with this book - if I can get to the end of 'Bleak
House' in a timely fashion, I will try to find myself a copy. The used
bookstore is the faithful friend of the law student and rarely fails!

For someone wishing to learn more about utilitarianism and its opponents,
I don't think the philosophy was ever more ably defended than by John
Stuart Mill in his essay plainly named "Utilitarianism", and (among
philosophers anyway, and remaining in ignorance of Mr. Dickens' book!) I
personally am attracted to the arguments of Robert Nozick, whose
attachment to the value of justice as separated from utility has made him
one of the most fascinating modern (twentieth century) philosophers.

Good luck,

Jason
BA Philosophy - but that and mathematics pretty much is "it"


Back to Victorian Lives and Letters homepage