Utilitarianism is the idea that ethics is ultimately about what makes people's lives go better. While utilitarian ideas remain highly influential in politics and culture, they are subject to many well-developed philosophical criticisms, such as the claim that utilitarianism requires too much of us and the view that it does not respect individuals' rights. The theory is widely thought by philosophers to be the least plausible form of consequentialism, hampered by its excessive simplicity. In Taking Utilitarianism Seriously, Christopher Woodard argues that it is not defeated by the standard objections. He presents a new and rich version of utilitarianism that can answer all six commons objections plausibly and, in doing so, launches a state-of-the-art defence of the utilitarian tradition, which has greater resources than its critics have often assumed. Far from being excessively simple, utilitarianism is able to account for much of the complexity and nuance of everyday ethical thought. And rather than being quickly dismissed, utilitarian approaches to moral and political philosophy are due for renewed development and discussion.

"When I was reading this book, some non-utilitarian friends saw the title and joked about how good the book would have to be actually to make the theory viable for serious consideration. The task, then, is an ambitious one. But despite the difficulty of the challenge, Woodard does a good job . . . [The book] gives the reader the details and the arguments that come with putting forth a new theory, but it also manages to do much more. It gives the reader a tour of some of the most interesting areas of contemporary ethics—with stops at over-demandingness objections, the nature of well-being, and the nature of practical reasoning." - Lizzy Ventham, Utilitas

"Woodard's Taking Utilitarianism Seriously is an ambitious work, offering, among other things, a novel account of reasons and rightness, a theory of moral rights and a related theory of justice, and a defense of democracy." - Luke Semrau, The Journal of Value Inquiry

"I have learned a great deal through engaging with Woodard's arguments in this book; it is an important new contribution to debates concerning utilitarianism, and consequentialism more generally. The book delivers a spirited and often ingenious defense of one particular strain of utilitarianism, a defense that is at once refreshingly candid about the significant difficulties that must be faced, and audacious in its proposals for overcoming them." - Paul Hurley, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews