Bentham’s Utilitarianism Revision

Jeremy Bentham (1748 – 1832) Was a teleological thinker. He believed in the greatest good for the greatest number He put forward his theory in ‘The principles of Morals and Legislation (1789) Interested in social and political causes and believed those in power were corrupt (which was having a negative influence on the majority of society, i.e. the poor) Practical approach to law and ethics – his theory is intended to actually be helpful

We have two sovereign masters Bentham believed we have two sovereign masters ‘pleasure and pain’ He said ‘Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pleasure and pain. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as determine what we should do’ (Bentham, 1789, Chapter I, I) He believed all humans sought pleasure and avoided pain

Pursue pleasure and avoid pain Bentham believed that all humans pursued pleasure and avoided pain Saw this as a moral fact, as pleasure and pain identified what we should and shouldn’t do. Bentham was a hedonist He believed that pleasure was the sole good and pain the sole evil

The principle of utility After establishing that pleasure and pain was important for determining what was moral, he developed the utility principle. The rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its utility or usefulness. Usefulness refers to the amount of pleasure or pain caused by an action. The theory is known as the greatest happiness principle, or a theory of usefulness. GREATEST HAPPINESS FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER

Can you measure pleasure? Bentham believed you could. He lived in a time of major scientific advances, and in his opinion pleasure was something measurable. He devised a chart to quantify the pain or pleasure cause by an action. He called this the Hedonic Calculus.

Hedonic Calculus Duration – how long does the pleasure last? Remoteness – how distant is the pleasure? Purity – how free from pain is it? Richness – will it lead to other pleasures? Intensity – how powerful is the pleasure? Certainty – how likely is it that pleasure will result? Extent – how many people will experience pleasure? This calculus gave Bentham a method of testing whether an action is morally right, in that if it was good it would result in the most pleasurable outcome.

Bentham and Act Utilitarianism Bentham’s utilitarianism is universal hedonism – the highest good is the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Actions are judged as a means to an end. What is right is that which is calculated to bring about the most amount of pleasure or happiness. Bentham’s utilitarianism is regarded as Act Utilitarianism.

Act Utilitarianism If something falls under ‘act utilitarianism’ it means that it looks at what action will produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people in the particular situation you are facing. This makes it: Teleological Subjective Relative Consequential Since the same act in act utilitarianism might in some situations produce the greatest good for the greatest number, but in some situations not, Utilitarianism allows for moral rules to change from age to age and from situation to situation.

Bentham thought it was, so he devised the Hedonic Calculus It helps us choose the good thing to do and work out the possible consequences of an action. P.R.R.I.C.E.D Purity – how free from pain is it? Remoteness – how near (in terms of time) is it? Richness – to what extent will it lead to other pleasures (how likely)? Intensity – how powerful/strong is it? Certainty – how likely it is to result in pleasure? Extent – how many people does it affect? Duration – how long will it last?

Hedonic Calculus & Euthanasia Bentham's Hedonic Calculus can be used to weigh up the pleasure and pain caused by two courses of action - in this case, helping someone to die, or not doing so. Bentham would consider the Intensity of the pain and its Duration. He would have to weigh that against the number of people affected (Extent), and consider whether keeping someone alive would lead to other pleasures (Richness). He would also need to add up the amount of other 'pains' the patient would face e.g. loss of dignity (Purity), and consider the chances that there' might be a cure or treatment in the future (Certainty). The pain is immediate, while possible future benefits are Remote. In most cases, the degree of pain is so great that Bentham's theory would support euthanasia (but remember the theory is relativistic so you would have to use the calculus to make a decision in individual cases.

Key words Hedonic calculus: Bentham’s method of measuring the good and bad effects of an action. Principle of utility: Bentham’s belief that the right course of action is that which brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number – produces benefit/advantage/good/happiness and prevents pain Quantative: Looking at the quality of the happiness. Consequentiality: Someone who decides whether an action is good or bad by the consequences.

Benefits of utilitarianism ‘Common sense’ to consider the consequences of our actions when deciding what to do. Practical theory with down-to-earth principles. Reasonable to equate morality with the pursuit of happiness and the avoidance of pain. Offers a democratic and balanced morality that promotes the general welfare and happiness of everyone.

wEAKNESSES Alasdair MacIntyre (A Short History of Ethics, 1967) says Utilitarianism could justify horrendous acts as being for the pleasure of the many, such as the Nazi treatment of Jews. J.L Mackie (Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong, 1977) doubts that humans can act for the greatest good as they are often selfish.