Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Utilitarian
Utilitarian
Utilitarian
Bentham
J.S. Mill
Utilitarianism
• “The creed which accepts as the
foundation of morals, utility, or the
greatest happiness principle, holds
that actions are right in proportion as
they tend to promote happiness,
wrong as they tend to produce the
reverse of happiness.”
J.S.MILL
The utilitarian
principle:
Act to promote the greatest
good (happiness) for the
greatest number.
Bentham’s Act
Utilitarianism
• Jeremy
Bentham
• 1748-1832
• Philosopher of
ethics & political-
legal theory
• Democrat,
reformer
Bentham=s project
• Tries to correct
Bentham’s theory
From Act to Rule
“There is no time, previous
to action, for calculating
and weighing the effects
of any line of conduct on
general happiness.
J. S. Mill
Rule Utilitarianism
– Based on past experience &
knowledge, we can determine what
acts in general produce happiness
over unhappiness
– apply the Utilitarian principle to
general rules, or moral codes as a
whole.
• i.e. the Ten Commandments
• Or the Bill of Rights
Pleasure Correction