, Bentham’s Utilitarianism
6- 10 / SE17 Utilitarianism
Theory type? consequentialist ethical theory
-
A
Associated with Jeremy Bentham
-
meaning of ↳ The name comes
from his idea of a theory of
?
usefulness
name
key word? -
utility
=
the usefulness of the results of actions
Bentham
B's
type ? Act utilitarianism → based around
singular acts
-
-
wanted to develop an ethical theory which
what did he
want to
develop? to
established whether
something was good or bad according
its benefit for the majority of people .
After a science of ethics
-
Name of KI ? His
key idea is called the Principle of Utility
-
Principle of Utility
written as ? "
the
often expressed the
greatest good for greatest
→
-
as
of people ( G4 4GN)
"
number
Good? Good happiness or pleasure
=
-
Quantitative? Quantitative focuses on the number
greatest
-
=
?
Meaning ↳ The
good act is the most pleasurable one
Bentham
what is
Equated happiness with pleasure and the absence
-
happiness ?
of pain
Observation -
This was an empirical observation -
people desire
type ? pleasure and seek to avoid pain
called pleasure and pain the sovereign
'
two
-
key phrase? '
masters
↳ These are what motivates people to act
what is this?
'
this is what is
'
-
called ethical hedonism
2nd key phrase? H is the
↳
pursuit of pleasure
Hedonism
what is '
chief good
'
The view that pleasure is the
-
.
pleasure?
Summary : Utilitarianism is
consequentialist theory associated a
with Bentham
centering around usefulness Bentham's theory is
, .
focused on single acts that create the greatest good for the greatest
number of people This means it's a
good act if it creates the most
.
'
pain & pleasure sovereign
'
amount of pleasure . He calls the two masters .
, Bentham’s Utilitarianism
6 .
I 0 / SE17
Bentham's approach
what is the -
Moral acts = maximise pleasure / minimise pain
calculation ? ↳ utilitarian calculus ( Happiness =
pleasure minus pain )
An act
when is an is moral
if it
brings the
greatest amount of pleasure
-
act moral ? and least pain
A
Example country has
slavery If 5-1 of the pop was
-
: .
.
what is
to the 95%
brought pleasure
an
enslaved ,
but that ,
then
extreme exp ?
.
it would be an ethical action .
What are Pou aims to →
promote happiness which is the supreme
-
,
the aims ? ethical value
Bentham & the Hedonic calculus
what is the
we should and maximise pleasure but is it
try
-
,
issue wl Measure?
easy to work out how much pleasure is created
by
an action ?
What did Bentham the hedonic calculus
proposed a
way
-
as
B propose ? to measure this
7
There are
factors in this method
-
Intensity How
strong 1 powerful is the pleasure?
-
→
Duration last?
How
long will it
'
→
Name and
certainty is the result of pleasure?
→
How likely
-
explain the
Remoteness How will the ?
pleasure
→
come
-
soon
7 criteria
Richness will it lead other /
further pleasure ?
→
to
.
Purity free from pain is it ?
How
'
→
Extent How many people does the pleasure
→
affect ?
•
↳ A
possible way of remembering this is DR. PRICE
summary :
Bentham says all pleasures are equal .
however ,
he
recognises
this is hard to measure .
So B created the Hedonic calculus This
,
.
includes 7 criteria that if followed can ,
measure the amount of pleasure
Following the acronym
' ' '
that II be created .
DR PRICE
. will ensure that
the 7 criterion are followed and remembered .
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