UTILITARIANISM - "The greatest happiness for the greatest number"

UTILITARIANISM - "The greatest happiness for the greatest number"

1. ACT

   • Created by Bentham
     • Bentham was called a HEDONIST - This is because he said the rightness or the wrongness of an action could be judged by its consequences.
       • HE BELIVIES YOUR MOTIVES DO NOT MATTER
         • "GOOD CONSEQUENCES BRING ABOUT PLEASURE. BAD CONSEQUENCES BRING ABOUT PAIN"
   • Bentham thought pleasure could be measured/quantified. Due to this he devised the hedonic calculus
     • THE HEDONIC CALCULUS
       • The intensity of the pleasure
       • Duartion of the pleasure
       • Certainty of the pleasure
       • How near the pleasure is to you
       • How continous the pleasure is
       • Likeliness of pain and pleasure mixed together
       • How widespread the pleasure is

2. RULE

   • CREATED BY JOHN STUART MLL
     • MILL THOUGH THE QUANTITY OF PLEASURE SHOULD BE MEASURED, AS WELL AS THE QUANTITY
   • Mill criticed Benthams theory calling it SWINE. This is because he did not believe "ALL PLEASURES WERE OF EQUAL WEIGHT"
     • Mill compares humans to pigs. He says both humans and pigs experience lower pleasures, but only humans experience higher.
       • Even when humans are bored or experience dissatisfaction, you would still prefer to be a human not a pig.
   • HE DID NOT BELIEVE ALL PLEASURES WERE OF EQUAL WEIGHT - He distinguised two types of pleasures.
     • Lower pleasures
       • These are pleasures shared with animals
         • EATING
         • SLEEPING
         • SEX
     • Higher pleasures
       • These are pleasures only humans have
         • RELATIONSHIPS
         • IMAGINIATION
         • RATIONAL THOUGHTS
   • SECONDARY PRINCIPLES
     • MILL SAYS HAPPINESS IS TO COMPLEX AND OF AN INDEFINITE STANDARD TO APPLY TO HUMAN ACTIONS -
       • As humans we already know which actions produce happiness for society - e.g moral laws : do not steal --- MILL CALLED THESE SECONDARY PRINCIPLES
         • HOWEVER - if two secondary principles came into conflict he believs you should fall back onto the principle of utility.
           • Something which makes the most happiness.

3. This theory is:

   • RELATIVE
   • SUBJECTIVE
   • TELELOGICAL