UTILITARIANISM

Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism

Introduction

"Utilitarianism" refers both to a movement for social reform and to an ethical theory. Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) championed many legal and political improvements, and also developed the first modern utilitarian system. John Stuart Mill (1806-73) and Henry Sidgwick (1838-1900) provided significant corrections and a certain degree of philosophical rigor. There is, however, no single theory of utilitarianism, but rather a theme with common motifs (Bentham, 1970).

Discussion and Analysis

Utilitarianism belongs among "teleological" theories, that is, those that base morality on the ends or consequences of actions. A classic form of teleology brought together Greek thought and Christian theology, founding an ethic on ends inherent in human nature, a supernatural last end, and divine law (Thomas Aquinas). This was rejected by philosophers of the Enlightenment, and utilitarianism replaced it with a purely secular teleology of results. It is claimed that this substitution has proved to be a failure.

Utilitarianism has had a strong appeal, especially in English-speaking countries. Its attractiveness can be explained on several grounds. Utilitarianism does not make any appeal to tradition or to religion, or indeed to anything transcending human life. This can be seen as a great advantage in pluralist societies where there is no commonly accepted religious ethic (Bentham, 1970).

The basic good or ultimate end that it proposes, such as happiness or well-being, may be accepted by all as a reasonable aim. Utilitarianism provides a means to resolve moral problems by calculation of the consequences, a method that cannot but have an appeal in a technological culture. Utilitarianism makes it possible to provide a common currency for moral debate: whatever different individuals or groups may aim at, all can be reduced in every case to an amount of happiness. Different amounts of happiness can then be compared according to their respective weights. Thus, all moral disagreements are, ...