Utilitarianism is a systematic, consequentialist ethical theory that holds that the moral worth of
an action is determined solely by its contribution to overall happiness or "utility". Developed
primarily by Jeremy Bentham in the late 18th century, it shifted moral philosophy from abstract
duties to measurable outcomes, proposing that the right action is the one that produces the
"greatest happiness for the greatest number"
Core Foundational Concepts
● The Sovereign Masters (Pain and Pleasure): Bentham famously declared that nature
has placed mankind under two masters: pain and pleasure. These forces not only
determine what we will do (psychological hedonism) but also what we ought to do
(ethical hedonism).
● The Principle of Utility: This is the "fundamental axiom" that approves or disapproves
of every action based on its tendency to augment or diminish the happiness of the party
involved. Happiness is defined simply as the presence of pleasure and the absence of
pain.
● Consequentialism: In this framework, the rightness or wrongness of an act lies entirely
in its outcomes, not in its intentions or its conformity to abstract rules.
● Impartiality and Equality: Bentham’s original theory was radically democratic: "every
person to count for one, and no one for more than one". He maintained that all
pleasures are equal in kind—famously stating that "pushpin is as good as poetry" if they
produce the same amount of pleasure.
Measuring Happiness: The Felicific Calculus
To make ethics "scientific," Bentham proposed the felicific (or hedonic) calculus, a structured
framework for calculating the value of pleasure or pain resulting from an action. It uses seven
dimensions:
1. Intensity: How strong the sensation is.
2. Duration: How long it lasts.
3. Certainty: The probability that it will actually occur.
4. Propinquity (Proximity): How soon the pleasure or pain will happen.
5. Fecundity: The chance it will lead to more sensations of the same kind.
6. Purity: The chance it will not be followed by sensations of the opposite kind.
7. Extent: The number of people affected.
Refined and Subordinate Principles
● Diminishing Marginal Utility: Bentham observed that adding increments of wealth to a
rich person produces less additional happiness than adding them to a poor person. This
principle provides a utilitarian rationale for the redistribution of wealth.
● Disappointment-Prevention Principle: This principle prioritizes the security of
legitimate expectations, arguing that the pain of losing something one already possesses
is generally greater than the pleasure of gaining something new.
an action is determined solely by its contribution to overall happiness or "utility". Developed
primarily by Jeremy Bentham in the late 18th century, it shifted moral philosophy from abstract
duties to measurable outcomes, proposing that the right action is the one that produces the
"greatest happiness for the greatest number"
Core Foundational Concepts
● The Sovereign Masters (Pain and Pleasure): Bentham famously declared that nature
has placed mankind under two masters: pain and pleasure. These forces not only
determine what we will do (psychological hedonism) but also what we ought to do
(ethical hedonism).
● The Principle of Utility: This is the "fundamental axiom" that approves or disapproves
of every action based on its tendency to augment or diminish the happiness of the party
involved. Happiness is defined simply as the presence of pleasure and the absence of
pain.
● Consequentialism: In this framework, the rightness or wrongness of an act lies entirely
in its outcomes, not in its intentions or its conformity to abstract rules.
● Impartiality and Equality: Bentham’s original theory was radically democratic: "every
person to count for one, and no one for more than one". He maintained that all
pleasures are equal in kind—famously stating that "pushpin is as good as poetry" if they
produce the same amount of pleasure.
Measuring Happiness: The Felicific Calculus
To make ethics "scientific," Bentham proposed the felicific (or hedonic) calculus, a structured
framework for calculating the value of pleasure or pain resulting from an action. It uses seven
dimensions:
1. Intensity: How strong the sensation is.
2. Duration: How long it lasts.
3. Certainty: The probability that it will actually occur.
4. Propinquity (Proximity): How soon the pleasure or pain will happen.
5. Fecundity: The chance it will lead to more sensations of the same kind.
6. Purity: The chance it will not be followed by sensations of the opposite kind.
7. Extent: The number of people affected.
Refined and Subordinate Principles
● Diminishing Marginal Utility: Bentham observed that adding increments of wealth to a
rich person produces less additional happiness than adding them to a poor person. This
principle provides a utilitarian rationale for the redistribution of wealth.
● Disappointment-Prevention Principle: This principle prioritizes the security of
legitimate expectations, arguing that the pain of losing something one already possesses
is generally greater than the pleasure of gaining something new.
