Bentham and Kant
Full summaries from textbook
,QUOTES
BENTHAM KANT
Pain and pleasure “govern us in all The autonomy of the will is the sole principle
we say, in all we do, in all we think” of all moral laws and the duties that conform
to them’ - Groundwork of the Metaphysics of
(An Introduction to the Principles of Morals (1785)
Moral and Legislation)
Only act on something if you can also ‘will
when we calculate greatest good for that it become a universal law.”
greatest number ‘each person is to Treat humanity ‘never simply as a means’
count for one and no one for more
Kants principle of universality links to
than one’ Christianity, Luke 6 ‘Do unto others as you
would have them do to you’
,Jeremy Bentham
18th-19th century
English
Utilitarianism
Panopticon, the cool prison thing
Utilitarianism began a theory of law rather than ethics.
Believed that the law must be governed by the Principle of
Utility (the greatest happiness of the greatest number is
the measure of right or wrong
Believed religion has no place in law
, Act Utilitarianism
Bentham’s utilitarian theory is an Act Utilitarian theory which means:
in any situation, you should choose the action that maximises utility (benefit,
happiness, good or pleasure)
The other is a RULE Utilitarian
Full summaries from textbook
,QUOTES
BENTHAM KANT
Pain and pleasure “govern us in all The autonomy of the will is the sole principle
we say, in all we do, in all we think” of all moral laws and the duties that conform
to them’ - Groundwork of the Metaphysics of
(An Introduction to the Principles of Morals (1785)
Moral and Legislation)
Only act on something if you can also ‘will
when we calculate greatest good for that it become a universal law.”
greatest number ‘each person is to Treat humanity ‘never simply as a means’
count for one and no one for more
Kants principle of universality links to
than one’ Christianity, Luke 6 ‘Do unto others as you
would have them do to you’
,Jeremy Bentham
18th-19th century
English
Utilitarianism
Panopticon, the cool prison thing
Utilitarianism began a theory of law rather than ethics.
Believed that the law must be governed by the Principle of
Utility (the greatest happiness of the greatest number is
the measure of right or wrong
Believed religion has no place in law
, Act Utilitarianism
Bentham’s utilitarian theory is an Act Utilitarian theory which means:
in any situation, you should choose the action that maximises utility (benefit,
happiness, good or pleasure)
The other is a RULE Utilitarian
