What is Bentham's Utilitarianism?

In this class we will offer you a summary of utilitarianism Bentham (1748-1832). Movement that emerged in England at the end of the 17th century at the hands of Bentham himself with his treatise Introduction to moral and legislative principles” (1780).

This philosophical doctrine affirms that an action must be considered correct based on the positive consequences it has for the majority of society, pretending to obtain the general well-beingand happiness (=greater net benefit/happiness for the greater number of people). If you want to know more about Bentham's utilitarianism, don't miss this lesson from a PROFESSOR. We explain everything to you!

To understand what is utilitarianism of Bentham, first we have to analyze the meaning of the word itself, which comes from Latin and is made up of two terms: you use = what is useful and ism= doctrine. That is utilitarianism would be the doctrine of that which is useful and where the idea that establishes that utility is the moral principle that is located above the rest of the things stands out.

Main ideas of utilitarianism

So it would be a moral doctrine/ethics which promotes the following ideas:

1. Good behaviors are those that produce happiness.
2. Analyze the consequences of our actions for judge whether it is a good or bad action.
3. Utility It is the basic principle of morality.
4. The search for happiness at the collective/social level, that is, an action is correct when it provides the greatest possible good to the greatest number of people.
5. Human actions do not seek pain but pleasure.

Utilitarianism is framed in the England of the 18th-19th centuries and is a philosophical current that was born from the hand of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) with his treatise "Introduction to moral and legislative principles” (1780) and which is developed by John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) in his work "utilitarianism” (1863).

Jeremy Bentham stands as founder of utilitarianism with his work "Introduction to moral and legislative principles" (1780-89). where he defines Utility as that which produces happiness, which is good and correct for the community. Therefore, if that happiness is good for society, it becomes a moral principle that should be sought to develop (greatest net benefit for the greatest number of people).

The principle of utility

The moral principle of happiness is defined by our protagonist as the utility principle: The basic principleof morals othe greatest good, which lies in commit ourselves with others and in providing that good to a greater number of people. Good that is achieved through happiness = social welfare and what should be the engine/purpose of our actions As individuals we are part of a community.

“… The principle of utility is that principle which approves or disapproves all action according to the tendency which seems to increase the happiness of the party whose interest is in question. Or what is the same, what promotes or opposes that happiness. And I mean any action whatsoever, not only by a private individual, but also any action by the government…”

Likewise, this principle of utility must also be exercised from the governments to create a world better, to provide equality, to facilitate the well-being of society and provide collective happiness or the greatest happiness principle. Hence, Bentham defends the democracy as the best political system, since, with this, the happiness of a greater number of people is achieved

The measure of pleasure and pain

Bentham, following the thesis already exposed by Epicurus, establishes that happiness is directly related to pleasure and with the absence of pain. However, our protagonist is aware that an action can imply happiness, pain or both. Such as tobacco: at first it can give us pleasure, but over time it is harmful to our health.

“…Nature has placed mankind under the rule of two masters, suffering and pleasure. The two of them, by themselves, determine what we should do (…) They govern us in everything we do, everything we say, everything we think. And later: The principle of utility approves or disapproves each action according to the tendency it has to increase or decrease the happiness of the person or group in question…”

In this sense, Bentham is going to differentiate four areas that can cause pain or happiness to the human being: the religious, the physical, the political and the moral. Therefore, what this philosopher proposes to us is minimize hardship versus pleasure through what he defines as the felic calculus.

The felicific calculus, It is the method by which the pain or pleasure that an action can entail can be measured or quantified in order to know if it is useful or useless. Thus, according to Bentham, this measurement/calculation depends directly on:

• The intensity of the sensation of pleasure/suffering.
• The duration of the sensation of pleasure/suffering.
• certainty or uncertainty of the sensation of pleasure/suffering.
• The proximity (nearness or distance) of the sensation of pleasure/suffering.
• The temporal succession of the sensation of pleasure/suffering.
• The extension of the sensation of pleasure/suffering (to the number of people affected).

In short, taking these elements into account, we will obtain the net happiness and perpetual, thus avoiding ephemeral happiness or that which we obtain by acting individually.