Jeremy Bentham

Often in life, difficult situations arise that challenge our moral philosophy and it can be hard to make some choices. It is important to speculate upon such scenarios so that consistent philosophical ideals can be reached and that good arguments can be presented for certain motives. An example of a hypothetical case is if a trolley is moving along its tracks toward five people who will be killed if the trolley proceeds, but there is an option to pull a lever and divert the trolley to a…

wrote a book about it that was published in 1863, in this book one could read about his thoughts and ideas on what utilitarianism is and why it is one of the best outlooks to have. But the founder of utilitarianism, who is widely believed to be Jeremy Bentham, had a slightly different view of what utilitarianism is. The first definition of what it ment was that the best action is the one that maximizes utility, and he described “utility” as, “the sum of all pleasure that resutls from an…

the history of philosophy. It is widely used by everyone on a daily basis but has barely gotten recognition it deserves. Utilitarianism was founded in Ancient Greece but was not popularly used until the 19th century when it was re-introduced by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. While both men are credited as two of the most influential people in the foundation of, what we now consider, ethical theory. The approach in which we utilize the theory to make decisions is different from each other.…

Utilitarianism What is utilitarianism? It is a theory of normative ethics that straightforwardly identifies good or bad, moral or immoral. It answers the question with an analysis focusing on whether a particular action or type of action makes people happy, and if so, it is good. Utilitarianism asserts that the right action is the one that most increases the happiness of the most number of people involved. It produces the most favorable balance of good over evil, everyone considered. The…

Finally, Ethical Universalism [utilitarianism] is a theory expounded by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) that the ethically right thing to do is the action that produces most utility/ benefits than other acts. Under Utilitarianism, individuals do not merely look to their own pleasure, but are concerned with maximizing pleasure for all [“greatest happiness for the greatest number” principle] including future generations. John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), Bentham’s disciple, modified the theory by…

Utilitarianism Bentham’s moral theory was founded on the assumption that it is the consequences of human actions that count their merit, and that the kind of consequence that counts for human happiness is just the achievement of pleasure and avoidance of pain. He argued that there is an easy way of calculating human actions, and it is done by considering how intensely pleasure is felt, how long it lasts, how quickly it follows upon the action, and how likely it is to avoid harm. Utilitarianism…

Unit 5 Assignment/Question 2 French philosopher Michel Foucault, whose primary field of inquiry was that of power systems working to control and monitor individuals, was massively interested in the process of punishment and how it evolved over time on the basis of power play in the society. This essay seeks to explore Foucault’s examination of the history of punishment, the changes that the penal system went through, the advantages and disadvantages that came with these changes and how…

This paper will explore how the silent majority, that Martin Luther King Jr. addressed, faced the moral dilemma to support or not support colored people during the civil rights movement. According to King Jr. (1968) “shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection”. The silent majority, as King refers to them, were people who may or may not have thought…

John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill’s ethical system of utilitarianism is a system that is based on the foundation of Jeremy Bentham’s principle of utility, which evaluates actions based on the actions’ consequences. Also, Bentham defines happiness as pleasure and states that the right action is the action that produces the most happiness for the greatest number of people. As a result, this system promotes selflessness. Mill further elaborates that happiness is pleasure and the absence of pain.…

Utilitarianism is described as a moral right that aims to serve the happiness of a society. In addition, “Mill thinks that morality is built on social rules” (Schefczyk, n.d.). At an early age, John Stuart Mill was influenced by family friend Jeremy Bentham, who was known for his teaching about moral philosophy and principles of utilitarianism (Schefczyk, n.d.). Since John Stuart Mill is known for his contributions toward utilitarianism, a question has been positioned asking how Mill would…