Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism

Telelogical Ethcial Theory

Consequentialist

Actions judged according to consequences

Jeremy Bentham discovered phrase 'greatest good for greatest number' when read Jospeh Prisetleys's 'Essay on Government'

Bentham produced theory in his book 'the Principles of Morals and Legislation'

Jeremy Bentham

Founding father of utilitarianism

Motivated to produce universal ethical theory applicable to all situations

Born in London at a time of great scientific and social change such as prison reforms, the industrial revolution, medical/tecnological developments

Theory met needs of working class in the 1800s and started social reform

ACT util

Can be broken down into 3 parts: 

1. principle of utility

2. motivation of human beings

3. hedonic calculus

Hedonic calculus weighs up pleasure and pain by 7 factors:

duration, intensity, remoteness, purity etc

John Stuart Mill

father…