From universal prescriptive to Kantian utilitarianism

Abstract

The author re-examines Hare's multiple ways of connecting his metaethical with his normative doctrine, which is in formal sense determined as "Kantian utilitarianism", and in substantive sense as "preference-utilitarianism". Critical references to both dimensions of utilitarian doctrine aim at indication on scopes and limits of Hare's ambitious redefinition of the doctrine. Further on he discusses about so-called "necessary ingredient" of moral reasoning under the name of "sympathetic imagination", which Hare grasps in his developed theory not only as a normative demand but also as a logical thesis. Finally, he considers kinds of preferences that can or cannot be recognized (with help of established set of criteria) as morally relevant.

Keywords

• universal prescriptive
• prudential and moral thinking
• preferences
• desires
• interests
• ideals
• utilitarianism
• preference-utilitarianism
• Kantian utilitarianism
• sympathetic imagination
• principle of conditional reflection