Bentham utilitarianism and its utility in today's society

Since the dawn of consciousness, humans have struggled with the concept of good and bad.
Ethics is a field of philosophy concerned with the definition, organization, and
recommendation of principles of right and wrong conduct. To help our comprehension of
human morality, ethics attempts to describe terms such as good and bad, goodness and
vice, justice and crime.

Utilitarianism is said to have been created by Jeremy Bentham. Bentham was an English
intellectual who lived through an era of major social, political, and economic transition. He
was born in 1748 into a family of lawyers. He was a lawyer in his own right, but he never
pursued it. When preparing to enter the profession, he grew unhappy with British law and
decided to change it. “Nature has brought humanity under the governance of two sovereign
rulers, suffering and pleasure,” Bentham wrote in An Introduction to the Ideals of Morality
and Law, published in 1789. They are the only ones who can tell us what we can do.”

Principle Of Utility

Bentham advanced the utility theory, which was part of a family of consequentialist ethical
philosophies that judged an individual's behavior based on their effects. Bentham was
ahead of his time in stressing the implications of actions rather than the motive behind it.
He didn't think motivations mattered, because he expected that positive deeds would lead
to good outcomes. The quality of enjoyment and suffering resulting from the effects of our
acts, he suggested, should be the most relevant concern. Simply placed, an action is called
good if it produces enjoyment and bad if it produces pain. According to the theory of Utility,
an action is celebrated or denounced depending on whether it offers profit, gain,
enjoyment, good, or satisfaction, or whether it avoids injury, suffering, or unhappiness.

The utility theory, on the other hand, is distinguished from egoism, which encourages self-
gratification. Utilitarianism notes that happiness should be sought for the good of as many
sentient beings as possible. “We should all behave so as to achieve the greater value for the
greatest number,” Bentham said. As a result, a utilitarian will forego personal satisfaction in
order to benefit the community.

The utilitarian calculus was developed by Jeremy Bentham to help in the measurement of
satisfaction and pain. Person acts are measured based on four factors: severity, length,
certainty, and proximity (whether the pleasure will come soon or will it be a delayed
pleasure). Furthermore, two more elements had to be added in order to measure for acts
categorized as such forms, namely fecundity (does the activity have any secondary
pleasures) and purity (does it have any secondary pains). In addition, when evaluating group
behavior, there is another factor to consider: the scope (number of people affected).

Bentham was not a believer in the principle of group interest. Instead, he argued that
collective interests are the sum of individual interests, and that groups should not exist
independently of individuals. Furthermore, he suggested that, since the theory's primary
concern is pain, all individuals are viewed fairly when measuring the enjoyment involved
with an action.

Jeremy Bentham

Jeremy Bentham was a philosopher, jurist, economist, and social reformer who lived in England. He
is known as the father of modern utilitarianism and a classical philosopher. He was properly regarded
as England's foremost practical prophet and master of the Utilitarian school. He's been called "one of
the strangest figures in political thought literature." His father worked as an attorney. He also went to
the Lincoln's Inn to study law.

Despite having practiced law, he had no desire to pursue a career as an advocate. He focused his
studies on legal theory (Jurisprudence). His legal and political ideas inspired the rise of welfare
capitalism. Bentham taught in a variety of disciplines, including economics, logic, psychology,
penology, theology, politics, and ethics, and the Portuguese Constitutional Commission hired him
because of his extensive expertise. Both Hobbes' explanation of human existence and Hume's account
of social utility inspired Bentham.

In English legal history, his legacy will be remembered as a reformer. Antiquates and age-old
structures were criticized by him. He is a leading scholar in the field of Anglo-American legal
theory. He was contrary to the concept of common law and men's natural rights.

He had made a serious statement about divine theory, which he thinks is nonsense. Positive
law and individual legal rights were important to him. He campaigned for human and
economic equality, the separation of church and state, freedom of speech, equal treatment for
women, the right to divorce, and the decriminalization of homosexual acts in an unpublished
essay.

He advocated for the abolition of segregation, capital punishment (death), and physical
punishment (too painful), but most notably, he spoke out against the use of violence against
children. He is a well-known animal rights campaigner who has introduced laws.

Many well-known people were inspired by his virtues, including James Mill and his son John
Stuart Mill, the legal philosopher John Austin, and Robert Owen, one of the founders of
"utopian socialism."

Bentham's explanations can be seen in his popular work Fragmentation of Government and
Introduction of Moral and Legislative Values. He believed that the real purpose of the state
was to increase the satisfaction of the largest number of people. The following are the most
critical topics of his philosophy. They are as follows:
>>>Mankind placed between two sovereign masters

Nature has brought humanity under the influence of two sovereign rulers, according to
Bentham: Suffering and Joy. As a result, he said that it is the State's responsibility, or that the
State is required by the man, to maximize his happiness and mitigate his discomfort.
Furthermore, he describes usefulness as the property of any entity that seeks to generate
profit, advantage, enjoyment, peace, satisfaction, or to avoid mischief, suffering, bad, or
unhappiness from occurring.

>>>Sanction

The government's task, according to utilitarianism, is to foster the happiness of society. When
there is a commotion, the state has full right to discipline the criminals. Bentham identified
four types of sanctions: physical/natural, religious, legal, and political sanctions.

1. The Physical or Natural Sanction involves the hurts and pleasures that we can feel or
foresee in the ordinary course of nature, unaltered by human intervention.

2.The Moral Sanction encompasses the hurts and pleasures we encounter or foresee at the
hands of others, prompted by emotions of hate or good will, disdain or regard; in other words,
according to each individual's spontaneous nature. The sanction may also be referred to as
popular; it could be the sanction of public sentiment or honor, or the sanction of sympathy's
pains and pleasures.

3. The Political Sanction entails the pains and pleasures that one may encounter or anticipate
at the hands of a magistrate acting in accordance with the rule. This may be referred to as the
civil penalty as well.

4.The Religious Sanction covers any hurts or pleasures we may feel or foresee as a result of
religious forebodings and promises.

Men follow the laws of the state since the probable mischief of compliance is less than the
probable mischief of defiance, according to Bentham.

>>>Pain and Pleasure could be calculated on Felicific Calculus

There are two types of pleasures and pains, according to Bentham. They are as follows:

1.Simple pleasures or those that cannot be resolved into anything else (such as sensual
pleasures, money, ability, amity, good reputation, strength, piety, benevolence, malevolence,
recollection, imagination, expectation, assistance and relief, and so on) and

2.Complex pleasures are those that can be broken down into many basic pleasures.

Poverty, awkwardness, enmity, ill-repute, benevolence, malevolence, recollection, creativity,

expectation, and connection are examples of basic pains.

Pains that can be broken down into basic ones are known as dynamic pains.
According to Bentham, enjoyment or discomfort may be measured mathematically by
considering seven factors:

>The level of intensity (more or less efficaciousness)

>duration of time (longer or shorter life)

>Certainty (consideration of definiteness or indefiniteness)

>Propinquity is a term used to describe the relationship between two (consideration of

nearness or remoteness of time)

>Purity (accompaniment of all pleasure or pain)

>Fecundity (the ability to be productive or barren) are two terms that are used
interchangeably.

>Extensiveness (the number of persons fallen under influence).

All seven variables have an effect on pleasures and pains. Furthermore, he assumes that the
equilibrium will reveal whether the trend is positive or poor. He also included a rundown of
12 common aches and pains. These variables affect one's level of satisfaction and build
dimensions. However, Bentham claims that these can be measured mathematically. However,
opponents contend that pain and pleasure are difficult to calculate using objective
approaches.

Utilitarianism rejects Natural rights and Social Contract theory.

The dogma of natural justice was opposed by Bentham utilitarianism. Natural rights, he
thought, were "rhetorical nonsense on stilts." Law, not nature, gives rise to freedom (men
made law). The state is the basis, not the deal. People follow the law because it tries to fulfill
four goals: stability, substance, abundance, and equality. Democracy works because it wants
to enhance people's happiness, not because of any social compact.

The greatest good of the greatest number

The most critical formula in Bentham Utilitarianism is this one. That is the theory's core
concept. Any government is obligated to pursue policies that would benefit the largest
number of people. A democracy that serves the interests of a small group of people is not a
decent government. It is dictatorship and unjustified rule of law. As a result, the idea of "the
greater good for the greatest number" takes on a compassionate and universalistic
appearance.

Bentham clarified that when it comes to the happiness of one person versus the happiness of
many, the formula of the greatest happiness of the greatest number is the correct solution.
The interests of the governors and the interests of the governed can only align with a form of
self-government, according to Bentham.

Bentham saw the state as a governing body. According to him, the State is a body of people
united for the purpose of promoting and maintaining happiness, but it does so by regulation.
The State uses legislation to reward or punish people in order to maximize pleasure and
reduce suffering.

According to him, the law should consider negative behaviour and punish people in order to
maximize the net balance of happiness and decrease the net balance of suffering. Morality
itself is inadequate, and negative acts cannot happen until the rule is enforced. Only rule,
which is the sovereign's order, will ensure the people's habitual obedience.

Criticism
A variety of people have criticized Bentham's theory. Act-utilitarianism, or traditional
utilitarianism, was the word used to characterize Bentham's theory.

One criticism of the theory was that it explained any wrongdoing and also made it morally
obligatory in order to satisfy the largest amount of people's desires for fun. As a criticism,
Bernard Williams proposed a thought experiment in which Jim, a botanist, was faced with the
option of murdering one prisoner in exchange for the release of others or killing all 20
prisoners. He rejected the theory, arguing that any method that punishes unethical conduct by
restricting moral judgments to algorithms is incompatible with morality. According to him,
utilitarianism necessitates the punishment of the prisoner. The trolley thought experiment,
which required a physician to kill one healthy person in order to save the lives of five
terminally ill patients by performing an organ transplant, and the physician thought
experiment, which required a physician to kill one healthy person in order to save the lives of
five terminally ill patients by performing an organ transplant, both demonstrate that the
theory justifies any criminal activity (e.g. genocidal murders).

Another criticism leveled was that the hypothesis itself unworkable. Before taking action, the
theory suggests that a person has enough time, information, and experience to measure the
repercussions of an action, determine its value, and compare it to other options.

A opponent, on the other hand, argued that the hypothesis ignored other influences that affect
human behavior. The philosophy devolves human thought to animalistic desires by dwelling
on basic pleasure and pain. As a corollary, Karl Marx opposed utilitarianism in Das Kapital,
arguing that the theory refused to account for the fact that people with different social
backgrounds interpret joy differently. Furthermore, according to Pope John Paul II,
"utilitarianism is a culture of creation and consumption, a civilization of objects rather than
people, a civilization in which people are used in the same manner as things are used." As a
result, utilitarianism tended to make humans resemble useful things.
The inability of the theory to differentiate between strangers' and identified peoples' well-
being was a major critique. As a consequence, the theory disregards our particular
responsibilities. Under utilitarianism, any action that favors a near relative over a stranger is
immoral. Roger Scruton criticizes philosophy for failing to include responsibility in our
ethical judgments. “The question, however, is not what we usually do, but what we need to
do,” says Peter Singer, a contemporary utilitarian. “It is difficult to find any sound
philosophical rationale for the belief that distance, or group membership, makes a vital
difference to our obligations.” Furthermore, some opponents have raised the so-called
"demandingness objection," which argues that mixing equality with the greatest good for the
greatest number puts unfair demands on a person. Because of the large number of people and
the indefinite number of opportunities to support them, an individual will have to make many
sacrifices and live in a perpetual state of suffering and self-denial. This, according to Hooker,
is wasteful because the sacrifice would only result in a small rise in the net good.

Developments of the theory

J.S. Mill, a reader and devoted adherent of Jeremy Bentham, dismissed the idea that all
pleasures are equal and comparable. Bentham's inability to differentiate between enjoyment
and satisfaction resulted in them being described as the same thing. Mill suggested various
"levels" of gratification in his modification of the usefulness principle, acknowledging that
certain pleasures were more enjoyable and beneficial than others.

G. E. Moore proposed ‘ideal utilitarianism,' in which he opposed utilitarianism as merely

hedonistic and called instead for the introduction of a set of ideals that can be maximized to
achieve satisfaction. He objected against the idea that happiness was the only factor in
determining morality.

To save Bentham's philosophy, a group of philosophers suggested "rule-utilitarianism." The

philosophy includes the use of guidelines to assist in the selection of the best course of action.
This reform is meant to eradicate the shortcomings that emerge from estimating the effects of
each and every decision, resulting in a person preferring a less favorable choice. As a result,
"law-utilitarianism" holds that "an action is correct if it follows a rule that maximizes utility."

R. In 1981, M. Hare proposed a new philosophy called "preference utilitarianism." “By this I
mean the idea that, in evaluating what is good and bad for a particular person, the ultimate
criteria can only be his own desires and preferences,” he explained. Unlike Bentham's
utilitarianism, which emphasizes on acts that increase enjoyment, preference utilitarianism
encourages actions that are in the best interests of the particular person or being concerned.
However, opponents have pointed out that the hypothesis lacks the viewpoints of those who
do not have the authority to make decisions, such as animals or children.

Utility in today's society

Utilitarianism is a teleological philosophy, which suggests it evaluates the implications of a
judgment to determine if it is true or incorrect. It is founded on the usefulness principle,
which is a calculation of how beneficial an action is. Utilitarianism is a relativist system in
that it does not have predetermined universal principles nor is adaptable to the circumstances.

The founder of utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham, explained that the theory of utility would
assist an individual in deciding whether an action is good or evil. He was a believer in
quantitative utilitarianism, or “doing the most value for the most people.” To put it another
way, an action is right if it affects the largest number of people. Bentham was a social
hedonist, interested in how satisfaction and suffering affect decision-making. He measured
gratification in terms of severity, length, confidence, and degree using the hedonic calculus.
Every case is judged separately, and every action is judged on its own merits, according to
Bentham (act utilitarianism).

Bentham's hypothesis was established by John Stuart Mill, who claimed that finding simple
gratification was an animal instinct and that humans are capable of more. He believed in
higher and lower pleasures, with higher pleasures being emotional pleasures such as
schooling and lower pleasures being physical pleasures such as cooking (qualitative
utilitarianism). Mill was a firm believer in the creation of laws that favor society (rule
utilitarianism).

Hedonism (happiness) is a key concept, and both Bentham and Mill claim that happiness or
enjoyment is the only thing that is good in and of itself. This shows that utilitarianism is still
true in the twenty-first century, as it is mirrored in today's educational environment, where
"happiness" is a topic taught in many classrooms. Schools allow students to seek their greater
pleasures (mental pleasures) through activities such as athletics and painting. When it comes
to the quantity of satisfaction that we gain by our acts, Bentham is careful to combine
enjoyment and suffering. His utilitarianism supports selfless actions while discouraging
immoral acts such as deception or cheating, illustrating that by trying to act more positively
in selfless acts, we will all live in a safer and happier nation. What gives people satisfaction
should be measured by understanding the implications of our decisions and it keeps you in
contact with day-to-day problems, which is why utilitarianism is still applicable in the
twenty-first century.

The hedonism theory is eternal and it reminds one to aim for pleasure while preventing
suffering. We should put the greater good ahead of our personal differences and work
together for the greater good. "The greatest good with the greatest number," wrote Jeremy
Bentham. This should be introduced in 21st-century governments because it will still assist in
addressing the needs of the majority, which is the best thing a government can hope for in its
society. While this can seem unjust when the minority is being "forgotten," it is, in the long
run, more equal. If governments try to make everybody happy all of the time, no one is going
to be happy in the end. More pleasure is brought on by utilitarianism, which is important in
today's culture. As a result, utilitarianism is the only practicable ethical system for regulating
vast numbers of individuals, and it provides one with the most basic, but strong, ethical
guideline: pursue pleasure while minimizing suffering.
However, utilitarianism can be seen as irrelevant to the twenty-first century since it simplifies
morality by prioritizing pleasure over all goods. Morality is complicated, difficult, and torn
between competing roles and desires, which often result in equal amounts of enjoyment and
discomfort. This implies that there must be some way to distinguish between what is
considered right and what is considered wrong.

Some might argue that happiness itself isn't strong enough to motivate people in the twenty-
first century. People prefer to indulge in activities that result in more overall suffering than
pleasure, such as forcing sex on another person or child exploitation and neglect.
Punishments must be implemented to deter such conduct. As a result, many people conclude
that utilitarianism encourages evil by stressing the consequences of acts rather than the
actions themselves. Furthermore, there must be more to life than finding pleasure and
avoiding suffering, so hedonism seems to contradict our common sense.

Overall, I believe utilitarianism is important in the twenty-first century because it is the only
realistic ethical system for regulating vast numbers of individuals, and it provides us with the
most basic, but strong, ethical guideline of pursuing pleasure while minimizing suffering.

It is discussed the past and reasoning for their creation as a response to theologically divisive
ethical foundations. Their modern implementation would be evaluated in light of
contemporary problems, especially in collective and personal settings. To demonstrate why
biblical ethics employs utilitarian and rationalist deontological thinking, examples of
theological debates on abortion, euthanasia, suffering alleviation, and just war philosophy
would be examined. This would demonstrate how much secular ethical philosophy, as well as
theological forms of authority, is implicit in much social discourse in today's world.

J.S. Mill's early years

J.S.Mill was a scholar from the United Kingdom. He is a well-known economist and political
philosopher who also served as a civil servant for the East India Company. He is the greatest
of the individualists and the reformer of utilitarianism. He is a liberal feminist who believes
in utilitarianism, parliamentary democracy, and economic liberty.

J.S.Mill was the son of James Stuart Mill, Jeremy Bentham's closest friend and follower.
Godfathers James Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham directed J.S.Mill. After his father's death,
he became an independent scholar and a staunch supporter of liberty.

Individual liberty was considered by Mill as man's most valuable asset, and he proclaimed
that the strongest government is the one that rules the least (laissez-faire theory). Mill
described liberty as the freedom of thinking, speech, religion, and association, among other
things. He assumed that individual and social well-being were inextricably related. He
became a popular individualist as a result of these explanations and his firm advocacy for
ideal liberty. He pushed for mandatory schooling, minority representation, women's suffrage,
plural elections, and an open vote, among other things.
Principles of Political Economy, Essays on Liberty, Utilitarianism, Considerations on
Constitutional Government, Subjection of Women, Autobiography, and other works by John
Stuart Mill are well-known.

Utilitarianism - J.S.Mill

The Mill's views on utilitarianism and individualism can be seen in his popular works
Utilitarianism and Individualism and Liberty. While Mill is a strong proponent of
utilitarianism, he has claimed that he is a reformer of utilitarianism and has proposed a
number of reforms. As a result, he became one of the most well-known figures in the
utilitarianism movement.

By admitting and stressing the qualitative nature of pleasure, Mill significantly changed
Bentham's thesis of pleasure versus pain. He said that pleasures vary in quality as well.
Pleasures associated with the development of analytical abilities are superior to sensual
pleasures. Mill distinguished between pleasures of higher and lower nature. He chose a
higher degree of noble pleasure than a lower level of noble pleasure.

The below are the key contradictions in Bentham and Mill theories:

>The pleasures and pains, according to Bentham, vary in quantity rather than nature. Pains
and pleasures, he says, can be measured mathematically. However, Mill said that pain and
enjoyment can't be quantified; they just vary in consistency.

>There is a chasm between human interest and universal satisfaction, according to Bentham
utilitarianism. Mill, on the other hand, bridged the difference between human desires and
universal satisfaction.

> Only external sanctions were accepted by Bentham. But, since any person has a feeling for
mankind's happiness, Mill understood not only external, but also internal sanctions that
would constrain the individual to foster general happiness.

>In a society of dogs, Bentham's theory of utility would exalt wolfishness; in a society of
saints, it would exalt saintliness. Saintliness, on the other hand, should be the standard of
usefulness in every culture, according to Mill.

>Utilitarianism, as described by Bentham, advocates for the greatest benefit of the greatest
number. However, there is a possibility of minority rights being suppressed in this case. As a
result, Mill supported individualism.

> Bentham preferred democratic rule under all cases, while Mill favored dictatorship for the
primitive man and democratic government for those who appreciate the importance of
democracy. It says Mill was a supporter of socialism founded on the human condition.
>Bentham was convinced that the state could not mess with an individual's liberties. Mill, on
the other hand, defended the state's power over the institution of private property, arguing
that it has the authority to tax collectively generated values.

Conclusion
Utilitarianism has had a major influence on human culture and law. Utilitarianism was
groundbreaking in the sense that it was a philosophy aimed at establishing a single basic
ethical basis that could be extended to any ethical judgment. Its significance has not
decreased as a result of criticism. It is critical to comprehend utilitarianism for it is one of the
foundational tenants of legal philosophy and the role of laws. It helps in policy formulation
by analyzing the implications and ensuring that the largest number of individuals are affected.
The idea guides social debates and acts as the basis for today's animal rights movement.

The utilitarian approach to political duty disproved divine rights, civil rights, and the social
contract doctrines. This theory prioritized the citizen over the state. It is not egoistic, nor it is
altruistic. At this time, the utilitarian principle has been the pillar of all laws. In reality, the
current democratic government is founded on the idea of maximizing the happiness of the
largest number of people. Though the idea is not without flaws, they can be minimized by the
application of the theory.

Jeremy Bentham devised a system for assessing what was positive and what was harmful that
could be quantified. This approach was dubbed utilitarianism because its fundamental unit,
the "util," functioned similarly to a monetary unit. John Stuart Mill, Bentham's protégé,
refined the scheme to incorporate civil rights. In his version of utilitarianism, his "damage
theory" is a standout function.

In industry, utilitarianism will lead to a bottom-line approach in which choices are made
based on achieving the best benefit for the company as it relates to the greatest number of
stakeholders, including customers and all those impacted by the organization's conduct. The
result, not the actors' purpose or whether individuals are handled humanely, is the driving
factor.

BY-: VINEESH AND PRADUMAN

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