A Summary Of Utilitarianism Philosophy Essay

A Summary Of Utilitarianism Philosophy Essay Utilitarianism, also known as the â€Å"English common sense philosophy† dominated the Western world during most of the nineteenth century. Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that places the seed of right and wrong solely on the outcomes (consequences) of choosing one action/policy over other actions/policies, hence also sometimes referred to as â€Å"the Consequentialism†. The history of this theory dates back to its true pioneer Jeremy Bentham ( 1748-1832) who gave rise to a new concept in hedonism: The Social Hedonism which was quite different from the Hedonistic doctrines of Aristipppus and Epicurus who are considered to be the fathers of Hedonistic school of thought. Bentham ; the common-sense British thinker is largely held responsible for the shift from † egoistic (individualistic) hedonism to the Universalistic( social ) hedonism. He declared in his book † Introduction to the Principles and morals and Legislation† that all mankind is ruled by two basic masters; namely PAIN and PLEASURE and that all human race is busy in the so-called rat-race of the pursuit of pleasure and the disapproval of pain.He also asserts that good can be equated with pleasure and evil with pain. Here comes in the big question that† How should pleasures be graded as far as preference is concerned?† Whether one should go for ‘short-term and intense’ pleasures or ‘ long-term and mild pleasure’ take precedence over the former. He therefore came up with a detailed outline of principles regarding the preferences of pleasures in his â€Å"Hedonic Calculus†. According to Bentham’s calculus, he emphasized the significance of seven â€Å"circumstances† in order to determine the value of any action, hence presented a criteria for the preference of pleasures influenced by following major factors: Intensity: of the pleasure or pain that results Duration: of either of the two Certainity: The confirmation that pleasant event will be occurring. Promptness : The nearness of the pleasant event. Fecundity: Its ability to reproduce( lead to) more pleasure. Purity: freedom from either present or future. Extent: characterized by the number of people affected by the action John Stuart Mill(1806-1873) adjusted the more hedonistic tendencies in Bentham’s philosophy by emphasizing that it is not infact the quantity of pleasure, but the quality of happiness that is central to utilitarianism. He further argued that pleasure couldn’t be quantified as stated by Bentham and can only be measured in terms of quality only. Mill advocates his rationality of ideas in the following famous words: â€Å"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better Socrates disstatisfied than a fool satisfied† The implification of this advancement by Mill lead to a belief that the calculus is unreasonable — (there is a distinction between ‘higherâ⠂¬â„¢ and ‘lower’ pleasures). According to Mill, utilitarianism now refers to â€Å"the Greatest Happiness Principle† – GHP. it seeks to promote the capability of achieving happiness (higher pleasures) for the maximum number of people. The Maxim holds as such: † Greatest happiness for the greater number† Act and Rule Utilitarianism The principle of utility can either either be applied to PARTICULAR ACTIONS or GENERAL RULES. The former is called â€Å"act-utilitarianism† and the latter is called â€Å"rule-utilitarianism.†