Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 12 views

    Ethical Theories 5

    Uploaded by

    barshaadhikari83
    The document discusses utilitarianism as an ethical theory originated by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. It focuses on maximizing happiness for the greatest number of people. Bentham believed actions are right if they promote happiness and wrong if they cause pain. Mill was influenced by Bentham and aimed to continue utilitarianism.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Ethical Theories 5

    Uploaded by

    barshaadhikari83
    12 views4 pages
    The document discusses utilitarianism as an ethical theory originated by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. It focuses on maximizing happiness for the greatest number of people. Bentham believed actions are right if they promote happiness and wrong if they cause pain. Mill was influenced by Bentham and aimed to continue utilitarianism.

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document discusses utilitarianism as an ethical theory originated by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. It focuses on maximizing happiness for the greatest number of people. Bentham believed actions are right if they promote happiness and wrong if they cause pain. Mill was influenced by Bentham and aimed to continue utilitarianism.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    12 views4 pages

    Ethical Theories 5

    Uploaded by

    barshaadhikari83
    The document discusses utilitarianism as an ethical theory originated by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. It focuses on maximizing happiness for the greatest number of people. Bentham believed actions are right if they promote happiness and wrong if they cause pain. Mill was influenced by Bentham and aimed to continue utilitarianism.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 4

    Unit 3: Ethical Theories

    Utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill:


    Bentham's book
    An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
    was printed in 1780 but not published until 1789. It is
    possible that Bentham was spurred on to publish after he
    saw the success of Paley's Principles of Moral and
    Political Philosophy.

    Bentham's work opens with a statement of the principle of utility:


    Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and
    pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do.… By the principle of utility is
    meant that principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever according
    to the tendency it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose
    interest is in question: or, what is the same thing in other words to promote or to oppose
    that happiness. I say of every action whatsoever, and therefore not only of every action of a
    private individual, but of every measure of government.
    Unit 3: Ethical Theories
    Utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill:
    John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 7 May 1873)[1] was an English
    philosopher, political economist, politician and civil servant. One of the most
    influential thinkers in the history of liberalism, he contributed widely to
    social theory, political theory, and political economy.

    Mill was brought up as a Benthamite with the explicit intention that he


    would carry on the cause of utilitarianism.[28] Mill's book Utilitarianism first
    appeared as a series of three articles published in Fraser's Magazine in
    1861 and was reprinted as a single book in 1863.
    Unit 3: Ethical Theories
    Utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill:
    Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that focuses on maximizing overall happiness or
    pleasure. It originated from the works of two influential English philosophers and
    economists: Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.
    utilitarian ideas encourage actions that ensure the greatest good for the greatest number.
    Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different characterizations, the basic idea
    behind all of them is, in some sense, to maximize utility, which is often defined in terms of
    well-being or related concepts. For instance, Jeremy Bentham, the founder of utilitarianism,
    described utility thus:

    That property in any object, whereby it tends to produce benefit, advantage, pleasure,
    good, or happiness ... [or] to prevent the happening of mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness
    to the party whose interest is considered.
    Unit 3: Ethical Theories
    Utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill:
    Jeremy Bentham:

    Act Utilitarianism: Bentham’s theory is known as act utilitarianism. According to this view,
    the morality of an action is determined by its consequences in a specific situation.

    Principle of Utility: Bentham believed that an action is right if it tends to promote


    happiness (or pleasure) and wrong if it leads to the reverse of happiness (pain or suffering).

    Quantitative Approach: Bentham emphasized quantitative aspects of pleasure. He


    proposed a hedonistic calculus to measure pleasure and pain, considering factors like
    intensity, duration, certainty, and extent.

    Permissibility of Abhorrent Acts: Act utilitarianism directly applied the principle of utility to
    individual acts. As a result, some morally abhorrent acts might be permitted if they
    maximize overall happiness. For instance, two torturers could be justified if their pleasure
    outweighs the harm done to the victim

    You might also like