Utilitarianism Influence By John Stuart Mill And Jeremy Bentham
Utilitarianism was a movement in the 18th century that soon would become one of the paramount ethical philosophies the world would contemplate. The basic principle of Utilitarianism involves calculation of happiness, in which actions are deemed good if they tend to produce pleasure and evil if they promote pain. A fairly simple concept, it would coined by the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Influence by Bentham, another philosopher, John Stuart Mill would follow with a very similar, yet ideologically distinct revised theory of Utilitarianism that would regard not only the end product of happiness, but also consider the motive of actions and the extent to which happiness can be created not just the individual, but for society as a whole.
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It can be seen that Bentham's principle of utility defined the meaning of moral obligation by the pursuance of the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. Bentham also supposed that social policies be evaluated in accordance with their effect on the general well-being of the populace they involve. Government action, like laws such as those effecting criminals are a good example of utility theory, wherein the promise of punishment and likelihood of future pain serve to outweigh the immediate gain of committing the crime. He states that the punishment must fit the crime by changing the perception of value of committing …show more content…
In Mill's view, some forms of pleasure experienced by human beings differ from others in distinct, qualitative ways, and that only those who have experienced pleasure in both forms can be a competent judge of their corresponding quality. He went on to establish the moral worth of promoting higher (largely intellectual) pleasures among people even when their immediate intensity may be less than those of the lower, and largely hedonistic pleasures. Mill argued that the achievement of happiness can often be difficult, so we are often justified morally in seeking to reduce the amount of pain experienced by people affected by our actions. Pain, as well as the sacrifice of pleasure, is warranted in Mill's view primarily when it directly results in a greater good for
It can be seen that Bentham's principle of utility defined the meaning of moral obligation by the pursuance of the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. Bentham also supposed that social policies be evaluated in accordance with their effect on the general well-being of the populace they involve. Government action, like laws such as those effecting criminals are a good example of utility theory, wherein the promise of punishment and likelihood of future pain serve to outweigh the immediate gain of committing the crime. He states that the punishment must fit the crime by changing the perception of value of committing …show more content…
In Mill's view, some forms of pleasure experienced by human beings differ from others in distinct, qualitative ways, and that only those who have experienced pleasure in both forms can be a competent judge of their corresponding quality. He went on to establish the moral worth of promoting higher (largely intellectual) pleasures among people even when their immediate intensity may be less than those of the lower, and largely hedonistic pleasures. Mill argued that the achievement of happiness can often be difficult, so we are often justified morally in seeking to reduce the amount of pain experienced by people affected by our actions. Pain, as well as the sacrifice of pleasure, is warranted in Mill's view primarily when it directly results in a greater good for