Jeremy Bentham

Hedonistic Utilitarianism

Jeremy Bentham
  1. The Intellectual Background of Utilitarianism -

    1. The New Science vs. Magic/Religion

    2. The Rationalist/Empiricist Debate

      1. Rationalism - the senses are unreliable and therefore not a sufficient foundation for knowledge

        1. Rene Descartes (1596-1650)
        2. Baruch Spinoza (1637-1677)
        3. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz (1646-1716)

      2. Empiricism - sensation is the only source for knowledge

        1. John Locke (1632-1704)
        2. George Berkeley (1685-1753)
        3. David Hume (1711-1776)

  2. Human Nature -

    1. Humans are subjugated by Nature to two sensations:

      1. Pleasure

      2. Pain

    2. 'Utility' - the power to produce a benefit or advantage (i.e., pleasure)

    3. The Utility Principle - "actions are good insofar as they promote happiness and bad insofar as they oppose happiness."

  3. Hedonistic Calculation - How DO we determine whether an action is good or bad?

    1. The Goal (i.e., end, 'telos') of Morality - Maximize Pleasure and Minimize Pain

    2. The hierarchy of pleasure associated with actions:

      1. Intensity
      2. Duration
      3. Certainty
      4. Nearness
      5. Fecundity
      6. Purity
      7. Extent


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