1. Bentham and Crits Get the mini-whiteboards!!! LO s
To revisit and evaluate some of the key ideas of Bentham
To consider insights into possible crits

2. If this is the answer, what is the question? Pairs
1 – Francis Hutcheson
2 – Pleasure pain
3 – David Hume
4 – A posteriori, empirical
5 – Lots, primarily law reforming
6 – Hedonic Calculus
7 – 7
8 – Unpredictable
9 – JS Mill

3. Initial Discussion
Should the greatest misery of the few justify greatest happiness of the great number – Gertrude Himmelfarb?
Are all pleasures of equal value?
Can happiness be defined? If it can, how do we measure it?

4. Podcast – 15 mins
Philip Schofield – Bentham philosopher. Take notes of additional information and points of interesting under sub-heading –
‘Philip Schofield’ on Bentham
Share most interesting thing with your partner

5. Bentham Crits
Discuss in groups possible weaknesses with Bentham’s utilitarianism.

6. Bentham Crits
No individual human rights might stand in the way of general happiness
Could justify evil actions
Tyranny of majority
Can never have knowledge of all consequences
Not enough time to calculate
Lacks humanity and is cold
Nozick – If we had a choice between being a brain in a tank plugged into electrodes giving us pleasure or not getting into the tank, what would we pick? Pleasure does not rule human nature.

7. Summary
Bentham created a great practical ethical approach. Do you agree? Why/why not?