Brandt' Utilitarianism Thought Analysis

R.B Brandt is the most influential ethicist in the second half of the 20th century. The utilitarianism thought reflected in his ripe works "A Theory of the Good and the Right"has already become an important ethical theory nowadays. His utilitarianism thought stems from inheritance and the development of traditional utilitarianism thought. He has introduced the new cognitive means of science in the traditional utilitarianism thought,which has injected the new life into it. Thereby,it surmounted the traditional utilitarianism thought to a great extent. Brandt's theory has not only established the foundation for the revivify of utilitarianism, but also offered the new visual angle for the study on academic thought of utilitarianism. The exposition of Brandt's utilitarianism thought in the text was divided into four parts altogether. Part one,it is the theory of moral good. The theory is mainly come to launch describing with two respects of emergence of action and the cognition of action. Its core is to discuss what is and how to reach rational action. Part two, it is the social moral principle system. The system is also introduced from two respects in the text. One hand , the text discussed his social moral principle system from the features,function and rationality which there should be as general social principle. On the other hand,the text introduced the concept and features of the flexible and plural social principle that Brandt maintains. Part three, the text told about Brandt's moral rights. The text explained Brandt's understanding to moral rights of utilitarianism by the exposition on the concept and language function of the moral rights. Part four, the text told about Brandt's theoretical controversy with his critics, such as Rolls, Smart, etc, to state his defending for utilitarianism thought.