Utilitarianism - From Bentham to Mill
Utilitarianism - From Bentham to Mill In the realm of ethics, it is often that great thinkers look within the mind, body, and soul of the individual in order to discover the truths to a more perfect world. In doing so, philosophers seek to uncover the best way for one to live his or her life as a separate being, often neglecting the significance of the society as a whole. Due to the obvious fact that humans live among each other (and depend upon their fellow beings), should such thinkers not focus on the larger picture - the world we share? Or ways in which the people of the earth may live happier and more successful lives as a community? The philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill believed in such principles, forever fighting to attain equality for all who breathed life and striving to reform a society that impaired and exploited many, most of whom were the lower-class workers. While Bentham formed the foundation of utilitarianism thought to combat such injustice, Mill certainly left his own mark on this revolutionary way of thinking. Jeremy Bentham lived during the time of 1748 to 1832, a period in which poverty and inequality was prevalent as a r
Although some similar qualities do exist between the two philosophers, it is evident that Jeremy Bentham's distinct message is lost after Mill's reformulation. However, Mill does not despise bodily pleasure, but rather, believes engaging solely in physical pleasure is not healthy for the mind or soul. In either case, however, I do not support either type of utilitarianism. Although Bentham's system is relatively simple and does not apply to all circumstances, it remained extremely influential on policymaking in the United States, along with other elements of Western culture. 283) As I explained prior, Bentham is trying to explain that the pleasure of skipping rocks is no different than that of making love to a beautiful woman (assuming the individual is attracted to women). In Bentham's premise, equality is a major component, in which he strongly believes one person's pleasure is no better than anyone else's. Whether an individual commits an action self-righteously or unselfishly does not have any significance to Bentham, for it is moral as long this act pleases the majority (leading to the pleasure of the community). But does that make it insignificant? If everyone were to make their decisions based on maximizing pleasure, many duties and responsibilities that need to be done to sustain life would not be completed. According to Bentham, "the happiness of any one individual is no more or less important than that of another," but instead, what is important ". In this philosophy, Bentham explains that an individual should act in the best interest of the majority, thus maximizing the pleasure of the greater population, while also attempting to limit their displeasure. In creating such a principle, Mill hoped to prevent innocent people from being taken advantage for the sole "pleasure" of others. Although Jeremy Bentham died in the year of 1832, many of his ideas remained alive and well in mind and soul of his godson, John Stuart Mill. While Jeremy Bentham was a great advocate of equality (most likely due to the immense inequality he witnessed in his life), Mill disagreed with the assertion that all pleasures are equal.
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