{"product_id":"the-pursuit-of-happiness-philosophical-and-psychological-foundations-of-utility-paperback","title":"The Pursuit of Happiness: Philosophical and Psychological Foundations of Utility - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eLouis Narens\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eBrian Skyrms\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUtilitarianism began as a movement for social reform that changed the world, based on the ideal of maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain. There is a tendency to enter into debates for and against the ethical doctrine of Utilitarianism without a clear understanding of its basic concepts. \u003cem\u003eThe Pursuit of Happiness\u003c\/em\u003e now offers a rigorous account of the foundations of Utilitarianism, and vividly sets out possible ways forward for its future development. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTo understand Utilitarianism, we must understand utility: how is it to be measured, and how the aggregate utility of a group can be understood. Louis Narens and Brian Skyrms, respectively a cognitive scientist and a philosopher, pursue these questions by adopting both formal and historical methods, examining theories of measuring utility from Jeremy Bentham, the founder of the Utilitarian movement, to the present day, taking in psychophysics, positivism, measurement theory, meaningfulness, neuropsychology, representation theorems, and the dynamics of formation of conventions. On this basis, Narens and Skyrms argue that a meaningful form of Utilitarianism that can coordinate action in social groups is possible through interpersonal comparison and the formation of conventions.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLouis Narens, \u003cem\u003eProfessor of Cognitive Science, University of California, Irvine\u003c\/em\u003e, Brian Skyrms, \u003cem\u003eDistinguished Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science, University of California, Irvine\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLouis Narens is Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of \u003cem\u003eAbstract Measurement Theory\u003c\/em\u003e (MIT, 1985) and \u003cem\u003eIntroduction to the Theories of Measurement and Meaningfulness and the Use of Invariance in Science\u003c\/em\u003e (Lawrence Erlbaum, 2007). \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBrian Skyrms is Distinguished Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science and Economics at the University of California, Irvine. His interests include the evolution of conventions, the social contract, inductive logic, decision theory, rational deliberation, the metaphysics of logical atomism, causality, and truth. He is the author of \u003cem\u003eSignals: Evolution, Learning, and Information\u003c\/em\u003e (OUP, 2010), \u003cem\u003eFrom Zeno to Arbitrage: Essays on Quantity, Coherence, and Induction\u003c\/em\u003e (OUP, 2012), and \u003cem\u003eSocial Dynamics\u003c\/em\u003e (OUP, 2014).\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 208\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.7 x 8.2 x 5.6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 23, 2023\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51755089068320,"sku":"9780198878728","price":37.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/43dcb4d2bc764c4be5c225622981d2d3_cc01c709-c81f-4336-884e-969bb49d6280.webp?v=1780050179","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-pursuit-of-happiness-philosophical-and-psychological-foundations-of-utility-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}