utilitarianism

Running Head : Utilitarianism

Jeremy Bentham versus John Stuart Mill

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Utilitarianism speaks of pleasures , pain , quality , quantity , etcetera This intends to reintroduce the definition , concepts , as well as ideas provided by the greatest thinkers namely : Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill . It also aims to state the differences between their concepts . Finally , its objective is to mention whose definition /concept /idea with regards to utilitarianism is more plausible

Utilitarianism According to Jeremy Bentham

Jeremy Bentham technically

defines utility ' as that property in any object , whereby it ends to produce benefit , advantage , pleasure good , or happiness or to prevent the happening of mischief , pain , evil or unhappiness to the party whose interest is considered (Bentham 1948 ,

. 126 . Jeremy Bentham developed the aforementioned idea on utilitarianism through the following premises

First of all , that pleasure , happiness , goodness , benefit , advantage etcetera ' are terms that equate to one another (Germino 1972 , pp . 235 - 236

Second is that the aforementioned terms in the first are actually measurable , thus , quantifiable as well (Germino 1972 , pp . 235 - 236

Third , that an act of people , as well as , the government should be based upon the rule that take full advantage of pleasure and decrease pain (Germino 1972 , pp . 235 - 236

Last but not least , it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong ' of human action in every situation , and in particular when governmental action is called for (Germino 1972 , pp . 235 - 236

Utilitarianism According to John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill , on the other hand , sees utilitarianism ' as the foundation of morals ' because it holds that , actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness , wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness (Ebenstein Ebenstein 1991 ,

. 580 What does John Stuart Mill mean when he mentions happiness and unhappiness , you may ask

Well , happiness he says is similar to pleasure and the non-existence of terrible pain or any kind of pain for that matter (Germino 1972 ,

br 240 . Unhappiness for John Stuart Mill , on the other hand , is akin to pain , as well as , the deprivation of enjoyment /pleasure (Germino 1972 br

. 240

Differences

This is where we see the first difference of his thoughts from that of Jeremy Bentham 's since at this point , he already rejects first premise that all those terms aforementioned are all similar to each other or that the quality of pleasure is actually equivalent to each other (Germino 1972 ,

. 240 . Deducing from that idea , if pleasures vary in superiority , as well as , in amount , and if only those men who have experienced the entire assortment of pleasures are capable of reflecting upon and comprehensibly articulating their experience are proficient of judging excellence , then the lawmaker /member of parliament can no longer establish /agree on governmental policy on the basis of the greatest happiness of the greatest number (Germino 1972 ,

. 240

Another difference is that...