Utilitarianism By Jeremy Bentham And John Stuart Mill

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory originating from the late 18th and 19th century British Philosophers and economists: Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. The Utilitarian theory focuses solely on the consequences an action has on the happiness of those affected by the action. Utilitarianism can be contrasted with other ethical theories such as deontology; deontologists consider the morality of the actions while disregarding the consequences produced by their actions. However a utilitarian does not put as much of an emphasis on the morality of the actions that produce a consequence, though judges an action virtuous by the happiness produced from the actions. In this essay, I will discuss the use of utilitarian theory when applied to ethical values while keeping in mind the juxtaposing theory of deontology. There have been various developed methods to determine between different degrees of pleasure and pain. One of the founders of utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham, founded a fundamenta l principle to be applied to the problems of morality and law; he named this principle â€Å"The Principle of Utility.† This principle states that actions or behaviors are right as long as they promote happiness or pleasure, and wrong if they produce unhappiness or pain. Therefore Utilitarians have used this principle to measure the amount of pain and pleasure created by an action. This provides a foundation for decision-making, which has proven important to all utilitarians. Bentham was able toShow MoreRelatedUtilitarianism, By Jeremy Bentham And John Stuart Mill1678 Words   |  7 PagesUtilitarianism is an ethical theory that claims one is morally right when an action serves the ultimate interest of bringing about the most overall happiness. Any action that produces less happiness than an available alternative is not morally just. In fact, any action that produces pain, as opposed to pleasure, is considered unjust. Whether an action is right or wrong is independent of th e intentions of the person committing the action. An act is right in virtue of its actual results, not its expectedRead MoreJeremy Bentham And John Stuart Mills Mill On Utilitarianism872 Words   |  4 PagesMill on Utilitarianism â€Å"The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness (Utilitarianism, Mill). This theory of Utilitarianism was generated by the original Utilitarians, Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Mill says: â€Å"Happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privationRead MoreUtilitarianism And Out Of All By Jeremy Bentham And John Stuart Mill1513 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction With the passage of time, new ideas emerge and there is always a new way of looking into things thus developing new epistemologies. Utilitarianism is one of the ways of looking at things, there were and are many thinkers of utilitarianism and out of all the thinkers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill were the key thinkers or the classical utilitarians. Mill (as cited in Mulgan, 2007) states, â€Å"actions are right in proportion as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. 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M ill Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that holds the morally right course of action in any given situation is the course of which yields the greatest balance of benefits over harms. More specifically, utilitarianism’s core idea is that the effects of an action determine whether actions are morally right or wrong. Created with the philosophies of Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806–1873), Utilitarianism began in England in the 19th Century. BenthamRead MoreUtilitarianism : Bentham And Mill766 Words   |  4 PagesUtilitarianism: Bentham VS. Mill Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that holds the morally right course of action in any given situation is the course of which yields the greatest balance of benefits over harms. More specifically, utilitarianism’s core idea is that the effects of an action determine whether actions are morally right or wrong. Created with philosophies of Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806–1873), Utilitarianism began in England in the 19th Century. Read MoreJeremy Benthams Utilitarianism is a Convincing Method for Normatic Ethics891 Words   |  4 PagesUtilitarianism has been recognized as a convincing method regarding normative ethics, utilitarianism wasn’t fully expressed until the 19th century. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, acknowledged the good with pleasure. Both of the philosophers believed we ought to make the most of the good, everyones happiness is the same no matter what type of happiness it is. When one fulfills their good , it doesn’t mean one’s individual good doesn’t count more when compared to someone else’s good. JeremyRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill s Definition Of Quality975 Words   |  4 Pages John Stuart Mill’s definition of quality can be broken-down distinctively into four separate definitions. When evaluating pleasures, J. S. Mill alleged the quality of particular pleasures is determined by how much pleasure the person obtains from the pleasure, in addition to, how just the pleasure is beneficially to society. Moreover, Mill argued against â€Å"†¦Bentham’s purely quantitative view of pleasure. Without denying that quantity is a consideration in the calculation of pleasure, Mill believed