Freedom and Reason

by R.M. Hare

Proceeds in a logical fashion to show how, when thinking morally, a man can be both free and rational.

Genres: Philosophy

236 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

Reviews

[Turbulent_Architect]

A masterful follow-up to The Language of Morals. This is where Hare's universal prescriptivism develops into a full-blown normative theory. His main thesis is that the logical properties of moral language commit us to a form of preference-utilitarianism. He argues that, in judging that an action is right or wrong, I must imagine myself in the place of all those possibly affected by that action. Consequently, I must weigh the interests of all those concerned to see what is in the overall interest impartially construed. Still one of the most ingenious defenses of utilitarianism, even though it has in recent years been more or less superseded by philosophers of a more realist bent.

[Jonathan Norton]

Hare's continuing development of the prescriptivist model who started in "Language Of Morals" sees him grappling with the realities of moral argument and trying to deal (not too well) with the charge that he is simply preloading the subject with his own liberal values whilst presented them as impartial logical truths.

[Lauren Henry]

author + concept (moral particularism) on chalkboard in 02.05