Critique Of Benthams Quantitative Utilitarianism Essay

Over time, the actions of mankind have been the victim of two vague labels, right and wrong. The criteria for these labels are not clearly defined, but they still seem to be the standard by which the actions of man are judged. There are some people that abide by a deontological view when it comes to judging the nature of actions; the deontological view holds that it is a persons intention that makes an action right or wrong. On the other hand there is the teleological view which holds that it is the result of an action is what makes that act right or wrong. In this essay I will be dealing with utilitarianism, a philosophical principle that holds a teleological view when it comes the nature of actions. To solely discuss utilitarianism is†¦show more content†¦Benthams utilitarianism argument starts by giving his principle of utility which judges all actions based on its tendency to promote or diminish happiness of whoever is involved, be it a community or an individual. Accord ing to Bentham, an action is right if, it increases happiness and decreases suffering and is wrong it does not. Also included in his view of utilitarianism is a way to calculate the general tendency of any act and its affect on a community. The calculation is based on the seven circumstances of the act, which are: its intensity, its duration, its certainty or uncertainty, its propinquity or remoteness, its fecundity (tendency to be followed by sensations of like kind), its purity (tendency not to be followed by sensations of unlike kind), and its extent (number of people affected). With these circumstances in order, one can start to calculate the nature of the act and according to Bentham after the completion of the process, one can make an accurate assessment of the true nature of the act. Here is where my critique of Benthams quot;Quantitative Utilitarianismquot; comes into the picture. I will present Benthams process in his own words and then offer my observation as to where he w ent wrong. The community is a fictitious body composed of the individual persons who are considered as constituting as it were members. The interest ofShow MoreRelatedCritique of Benthams Quantitative Utilitarianism1783 Words   |  8 Pageswrong. In this essay I will be dealing with utilitarianism, a philosophical principle that holds a teleological view when it comes the nature of actions. To solely discuss utilitarianism is much too broad of topic and must be broken down, so I will discuss specifically quantitative utilitarianism as presented by Jeremy Bentham. In this essay I will present the argument of Bentham supporting his respective form of utilitarianism and I will give my critique of this argument along the way. BeforeRead More Immanuel Kants Ethics Of Pure Duty and John Stuart Mills Utilitarian Ethics Of Justice2753 Words   |  12 PagesMetaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mills Utilitarianism Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of morality in terms of how moral traditions are formed. Immanuel Kant has presented one viewpoint in The Grounding For The Metaphysics of Morals that is founded on his belief that the worth of man is inherent in his ability to reason. John Stuart Mill holds another opinion as presented in the book, Utilitarianism that is seemingly in contention with the thoughtsRead MoreVictorian Literature Essay2858 Words   |  12 PagesVictorian era was Utilitarianism. â€Å"The greatest good for the greatest number† was Jeremy Bentham, the eighteenth century philosopher’s theory, centred on the belief that logic and reason should be applied to life for the welfare of the majority of Victorian society. However, what Bentham failed to notice, was that this factual and quantitative ideology, forced society to make actions without considering their own individual happiness thus leading to Dickens critique of utilitarianism. The transitionRead MoreEthics and Social Responsibility Essay9502 Words   |  39 PagesMiami football players. This paper will examine the various legal and ethical implications involved in this case, including an analysis of the university’s social responsibility, and an overview of the scandal in terms of three ethical theories: utilitarianism, Kant’s categorical imperative, and ethical relativism. Table of Contents I. Introduction (Stephanie) A. Purposes of Paper * Analytical paper - â€Å"3 value† analysis of law, ethics, and social responsibility * Current, controversial