GEC09-

ETHICS

First Semester 2020-2021

Edgardo Cedeño
Professor
Reforma, Neraden M.
Student
BSIE-IIGk
MODULE 5: UTILITARIANISM

JEREMY BENTHAM
Jeremy Bentham is an English philosopher who introduces the principle of utility. He
recognizes the fundamental role of pain and pleasure in human life. He argues that the approval
or disapproval of an action is based on the amount of pain or pleasure brought about by the
consequences. Bentham equates good with pleasure and evil with pain, and asserts that pleasure
and pain are capable of quantification (and hence 'measure').

In measuring pleasure and pain, Bentham introduces the following criteria: INTENSITY,
DURATION, CERTAINTY (or UNCERTAINTY), and its NEARNESS (or FARNESS). He also
includes its "fecundity" (will more of the same follow?) and its "purity" (its pleasure won't be
followed by pain & vice versa). In considering actions that affect numbers of people, we must
also account for its EXTENT.

HOW IT WORKS

Your task is to explain how the criteria of Jeremy Bentham works. You need to research
it on books or through the world-wide-web.

It is said that the Principle of Utility holds that an action is good in so far as it tends to
promote happiness for moral agents. Hence, actions should not be considered good or bad in-
and-of themselves, but only in reference to their utility. That is why, it must be known by many.
Jeremy Bentham argued against "natural law" theory and thought that the classical
theories of Plato and Aristotle as well as notions such as Kant's Categorical Imperative were too
outdated, confusing and/or controversial to be of much help with society's ills and a program of
social reform. He adopted what he took to be a simple and 'scientific' approach to the problems
of law and morality and grounded his approach in the "Principle of Utility."
We all know that; an act will be considered as good if the result of it benefits us or
results to good outcome. But base on principle of utility of Bentham, an act will be considered as
good depends on the situation, so our action maybe good in a situation and not on the other
hand. For example, a student didn’t review for the upcoming exam because he/she is busy doing
his/her activity for another subject. It is good that she will be done on her activity and submit it.
But on the other hand, there is a possibility that the student will fail the exam, because the
student choose to finish the activity first. Maybe the student choose to finish the activities
because he/she may know that it is more important and needed. We must know that, an action
will be valid only if, that action will produce at least as much good consequence as any other
available action. Bentham principle says that the only important in any action is its own right is
happiness and the absence of suffering.
JOHN STUART MILLS

John Stuart Mills is also an English philosopher. He adjusted to the more hedonistic tendencies
in Bentham's philosophy by emphasizing. According to Mills, it is not the quantity of pleasure,
but the quality of happiness that is central to utilitarianism, He would add that the calculus is
unreasonable and qualities cannot be quantified (there is a distinction between 'higher' and
'lower' pleasures). Mills argues that utilitarianism refers to "the Greatest Happiness Principle" --
it seeks to promote the capability of achieving happiness (higher pleasures) for the most amount
of people (this is its "extent").

EXPLAIN IT

Please explain “The Greatest Happiness Principle”.

The greatest happiness principle is the ultimate standard of morality set up by

classical utilitarianism. That classical creed conceives of good as happiness and holds
that right actions are those which maximize the total happiness of the members of the
community. This principle holds that the more pleasure and the least pain an action
causes, the better it is morally. We should seek to perform those actions and adopt those
policies that lead to the greatest happiness. For John Stuarts Mills, happiness is not only
about physical happiness that we can get or feel when, for example you feel happy
because you have a new bag, you have eaten or taste delicious food or feel a
pleasure(sex). The happiness that he is stressing acquired in knowledge, emotion,
integrity, and imagination. Because these are higher pleasures that are important than
anything else. For example, the happiness you feel when you get an award after making
effort on a project is greater that just being happy because of watching k-drama.

THINK OF THIS

You need to answer this problem using the principle of utilitarianism. Limit your answer from
10 to 15 sentences.

It is noticeable before the pandemic that most of the elected officials have made projects. The
most common infrastructure projects are basketball courts. Because most Filipinos are fans of
basketball elected officials realized that building basketball court is more productive in
promoting health than building hospital. So, is it justifiable to build basketball court because
there are many basketball fans, than to build a hospital because there are fewer sick people?

Even there’s no pandemic, as elected official it is not a justifiable action to build a

basketball court because of the reason that there are so many fans of basketball sport in
the Philippines, than building hospitals. Many elected officials use the fund for making
basketball courts because they know that it will attract people and it would be easy for
them to get the people’s vote or supports, them if they will put funds for leisure activities.
Because many people are much more looking for entertaining things than giving eye for
what is needed.