Abstract This paper reviews the life and work of Jeremy Bentham, the political economist who was born in 1748 and died in 1832. This paper discusses how Bentham was an important representative of this early prototypical class of political economists who are recognized today for their pioneering work. This paper further discusses the contributions he made to the political economy and as a jurist, a philosopher, and one of the period's foremost proponents of utilitarianism. Bentham was also known for his minor involvement with animal rights issues at time when that particular subject often received short shrift in comparison to some of the greater thematic issues of the day.
Abstract The paper explores a pressing moral dilemma and how it appears Kant, Bentham and Hare would treat such a matter were they alive. Specifically, the paper looks at euthanasia and at the positions of each philosopher on this morally and intellectually vexing issue. To begin with, a review of Kant's work indicates that would he be alive today, he would be strongly opposed to euthanasia because of the unintended negative consequences it can create and because of his own revulsion towards suicide. Moreover, Bentham would, in the writer's opinion, be less-than-congenial towards euthanasia because of the potential it has to create far more harm than good for society at large (thereby making it a decidedly non-utilitarian practice) and because, like Kant, he feels that suicide is an offensive act worthy of condemnation.
Abstract This paper examines the impact of Jeremy Bentham on Britain's judicial system. This paper discusses the England's corrupt legal system during the 18th and 19th centuries which Bentham succeeded in considerably reforming. This paper analyzes the political thinker's approach to social reform. The writer of this paper delves into Bentham's insightful views and opinions pertaining to political liberty, hedonism and psychological egoism. This paper also examines Bentham's considerable impact on the British Parliament which upon Bentham's death passed the Reform Bill, which extricated political power from the ruling nobility and bestowed it upon British population.
From the Paper "The basis for Bentham's theory of government necessarily starts from his ethical propositions; both of these depend upon his principle of utility he called this the "greatest happiness" principle. Bentham identifies happiness with pleasure, and supposes that the rightness or wrongness of actions can only be accurately comprehended upon a scale of pleasure and pain, happiness and unhappiness. This makes him a hedonist, but he is a utilitarian hedonist in that he believes that human actions should be measured along these guidelines based upon their definitive outcomes. The outcome of purely moral actions spreads this principle throughout all of society: "It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong."
Abstract The paper begins with a discussion of the more simple considerations of Bentham regarding happiness and its relation to pleasure. It is argued that Bentham's rather mathematical calculations of pleasure, and therefore happiness, are inadequate. Mill's distinction of "higher" and "lower" pleasures are here brought in. With reference to the case of Haydn and the Oyster, it is shown that Mill's modification to Bentham is useful in certain areas, but causes more problems for Mill's overall utilitarianism, such as accusations of elitism and an unclear distinction between the two kinds of pleasure.
From the Paper "Ever since antiquity, the concept of happiness has been vital to moral philosophy, although it has been occasionally neglected at times. Crisp says as much in his introduction to Utilitarianism: "we should consider seriously deficient an ethics which contains no answer to the question of the relation between morality and the happiness of the moral agent" . With regards to utilitarianism, this question is dealt with by the two figureheads of the theory, Bentham and Mill. Though the specific question of what happiness is is not central to utilitarianism, the fact that it is marked out as the only actual end in life, and leads to the Greatest Happiness Principle, makes it logical to define, however briefly."
Abstract This essay explains Bentham's reasons for developing utilitarianism as both a social and political framework. It examines utilitarianism in an individual and private environment, as well as its workings in a more widespread and universal atmosphere. The latter part of this essay focuses on the viability of utilitarianism in the public sphere, and whether it provides appropriate guidance for government policy-making. The main objective of this part of the essay is to determine whether Bentham's principle of utility is appropriate as the foundation of a political structure. Thusly, it focuses on the attributes and failings of the principle of utility as a public philosophy.
From the Paper "Bentham's theory of utilitarianism was a result of deficiencies in government institutions in his country, and their failing to adequately serve the general satisfaction of its population. The principle of utility is based on intrinsic facts that motivate individuals, namely pleasure and pain. It is human nature to pursue pleasure and to avoid pain. Therefore what we ought and ought not to do is determined by these two "sovereign masters". The element of pleasure or pain involved in an action determines whether or not an individual, or group of people proceed with that action. All forms of utilitarianism are consequential. In every circumstance or action, a consequence is identified and then compared with the consequence of inaction.Whichever produces the greatest happiness is what ought to be done."
Abstract This paper will consider in detail the arguments of the theorist who is widely regarded as the 'founding father' of contemporary utilitarian ethics, Jeremy Bentham. As we shall see, Bentham's version of this theory differs, in important respects, from the outline given above.
Abstract This paper discusses the criminology theories of Jeremy Bentham. It begins by providing a biographical background of Bentham and explains how his love for law and criminology pushed him to develop new theories. It discusses why these theories were controversial at the time and looks at some critiques of the theories.
From the Paper "Bentham's contribution to the classical theory came in the form of an idea he advanced called utilitarianism (Siegel, 2000). The theory of utilitarianism is based around the idea that lawmaking should be done with the goal of providing the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people (Siegel, 2000). Bentham believed that empirical calculations could be derived to judge what laws would provide the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. As for the criminal application of this theory, he believed that individuals weigh the probabilities of present and future pleasures against those of present and future pain. This balancing of outcomes served as the deciding factor of whether or not an individual would commit an illegal act. Accordingly, Bentham believed that if the proposed pain was in excess of the pleasure derived from the crime, then no crime would result. This is utilitarianism in its simplest sense. In order to understand in a deeper sense (one that explains contexts, applications, and criticisms) one has to look deeper into Bentham's ideas on legal duties, obligations, and powers, and how these contributed to utilitarianism, and finally, how utilitarianism contributed to the classical theory as we understand it today."
Abstract Jeremy Bentham, popular English jurist, philosopher and legal and social reformer, was born on February 15, 1748 to a wealthy Tory family. This paper summarizes the life and works of Jeremy Bentham, including his panopticon design for prisons, his theory of utilitarianism, "Writings of the Poor Laws" and his proposal of industry houses.
From the Paper "There were three obligations that Bentham laid out to the British government to attain Utilitarianism. The first was to provide the poor with enough to survive. This included giving them food, providing clothing and providing security for their livestock and other belongings. The second obligation was to encourage abundance, both wealth and of population. Bentham knew that the larger the population the wealth per capita would drop, but he also knew that you needed a large population for defense. The third and final obligation was equality of means. Bentham wanted taxation to be distributed differently but it must be done carefully or it could possibly decrease the general abundance of the population."
Abstract The writer of this article examines the philosophies of Jeremy Bentham and Robert Nozick regarding their beliefs on hedonism and human action. The writer discusses the moral theory of each man. The writer also looks at intrinsic values. In this paper the search for pleasure and happiness versus the search for authenticity are discussed. The writer also studies Bentham's utilitarian philosophy.
From the Paper "The basic definition of hedonism is that feelings of pleasure or happiness are the principle objective of conduct. From an ethical perspective this means that whatever causes pleasure is right. Within this perspective however, there are many caveats. Pleasure for whom for example and what kind of pleasure constitutes the highest good. The Utilitarian philosophy of Jeremy Bentham identifies happiness with pleasure judging the rightness of actions from the happiness they lead to that may be considered as a form of hedonism. In his essay Classical Hedonism he argues that ... "
Abstract This paper looks at Bentham and Beethoven and examines the question of "nurture" vs. "nature". Heredity is looked at as well as environmental influence in terms of what made these two examples what they were.
Abstract This paper explains that utilitarianism is defined as the idea that individuals and government should attempt to do the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people. The author points out that Bentham's argument is based on individual rather than collective rights. The paper concludes that it is only the majority rule of individuals that determines what is right or wrong according to community dictates, and above all, the same process is applicable to pleasure and pain, in whatever shape they appear.
From the Paper "If a person fears pain, it is thus much worse if it is very intense, for a long duration, is close at hand, is certain, is apt to be given again, and will not be followed by pleasure. Perhaps an example might be, to take a relatively benign comparison. Who is in more pain of the following two students? A poor student, facing the SATs the next morning, who must take the test and is compelled to do so by his zealous parents, but feels he or she is doomed to failure versus a good student, offered the option of taking an extra credit quiz at some point in the semester, the time of which he or she may choose, of less than a half-hour's time, followed by a pizza party? The individual in the most pain, in the scenarios, is intuitively obvious, even if one does not grade the two upon Bentham's scales of intensities of pain and pleasure."
Tags: individuals, government, good, majority, rights
Abstract This paper discusses Hanna Arendt's moral philosophy and how it would be applied to the decision about who to serve in an intensive care unit and Jeremy Bentham's theory of utility and how it would be applied to the decision of torturing Iraqi prisoners in order to gain information on terrorist cells.
From the Paper "The determination of how to use the available beds in the intensive care unit if applied to Hannah Arendt's view of morality would encompass all of the following considerations on every given potential admission: first come first served, the most critical and life threatening, those who can afford to pay, the youngest the, oldest, those in the most pain, those who have the best chance to survive and those most valuable to the community."
Tags: morality, ethics, values, truth, absolutes, moral code, norms, identity, happiness, pleasure, the good
Abstract This paper explains that Marx's vision of utilitarianism was to literally change the world through revolution, usually conceived of in violent terms. The author points out that Jeremy Bentham, by way of stark contrast, never had any such dramatic vision. Bentham's efforts were directed at honing his particular (at times peculiar) brand of utilitarianism. His focus was reform; not revolution." He led the Philosophical Radicals groups which was dedicated to changing English institutions.
Abstract The paper explains the problems associated with online gambling and examines the legislation of various states that have attempted to limit or eliminate Internet gaming. The paper explores the ethical theories of Bentham, Mill and Kant and shows how although online gambling might be justified on the basis of the utilitarianism of Bentham, it is certainly not justified by the utilitarianism of Mill and Kant's categorical imperative. The paper contends that there must be some action to outlaw online gambling in order to benefit society and protect those most vulnerable.
Outline:
Introduction
Legal Situation
Ethical Considerations
Social Responsibility
Conclusion
From the Paper "The Internet has expanded the reach of the average person, allowing him or her to access a variety of information and services from the computer instantly. In addition to the more socially acceptable actions such as shopping, accessing databases and libraries, reading the news, and sending e-mail, many users indulge in more questionable activities, such as accessing pornographic material, downloading music of uncertain provenance, and more and more, gambling. The problems with online gambling are first the same as the problems with gambling of any sort, and gambling is often associated with poverty, family dissolution, and other destructive behaviors."
Abstract This paper examine the seemingly paradoxical roles of ego and rational thought and how they actually complement each other and are both necessary for the formation of a balanced human being. The author discusses the works of Bentham, Descartes, and Kant.
From the Paper "The phenomenon of equating egoism with mere selfishness rather than as the extremely important underlying force from which not only rational thought springs, but happiness as well, perhaps originated within the tenets of organized religion, when it was perceived as "sinful" to consider the self, and saintly to sacrifice the self to any extreme, including martyrdom. Thus, while much of modern society is formed upon outdated codes of ethics, it can be said that it might benefit by returning to an even older form of ethics based upon an acknowledgment of the guardian ego and its primal awareness of - and inherent desire for - happiness as achieved through acts of virtue."
