1 It is often claimed that John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham – probably the two most famous Utilitarians in history – held fundamentally opposed views concerning the way “the value” of different pleasures should be estimated.
Full Answer
Did John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham disagree on the value of pleasure?
1 It is often claimed that John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham – probably the two most famous Utilitarians in history – held fundamentally opposed views concerning the way “the value” of different pleasures should be estimated.
What is the difference between Mill's and Bentham's view of morality?
A) Mill thought that all pleasures should be created equal, but Bentham thought there were higher and lower pleasures. B) Mill thought that morality was made up of rules that should never be broken no matter what, and Bentham thought the morality of an act depended on its consequences.
What is the difference between Bentham and Mill's View of well-being?
There also seems to be a distinction between Bentham and Mill as to what constitutes well-being in relation to pleasure. Both philosophers are hedonists and advocate the idea that without pleasure, well-being is not achieved.
Was John Stuart Mill inconsistent on “the quality of pleasure”?
We are simply arguing that there is no serious reason for accusing John Stuart Mill of inconsistency because of his famous phrase on “the quality” of pleasures. As there also seems to be no serious reason for believing that Bentham refused to take “quality” into consideration in the evaluation of pleasures and pains.
How does Mill's view of pleasure differ from Bentham's?
The main differences between Bentham theory and Mill theory are: Bentham advocated that the pleasures and the pains differ in quantity and not in quality. He said that pains and pleasures can be computed mathematically. But Mill said that pain and pleasure can't be measured arithmetically they differ in quality only.
What did Bentham and Mill believe?
Bentham and Mill both believed that human actions are motivated entirely by pleasure and pain, and Mill saw that motivation as a basis for the argument that, since happiness is the sole end of human action, the promotion of happiness is the test by which to judge all human conduct.
Who believed that all pleasures are equal?
Are all pleasures morally equivalent? Jeremy Bentham established utilitarianism as a dominant ethical theory, and John Stuart Mill developed it during the middle and late 19th-century.
Why did Mill disagree with Bentham?
Mill rejects Bentham's view that humans are unrelentingly driven by narrow self-interest. He believed that a “desire of perfection” and sympathy for fellow human beings belong to human nature.
Why does Mill distinguish different pleasures?
On both dimensions of quality and quantity, Mill considers, only those who are familiar with both pleasures can answer. Moreover, he believes that between pleasures derived from higher faculties and lower ones, the former will be chosen by those who experienced both on the ground of quality.
How does Mill understand pleasure?
Mill's Hedonism Mill contends that pleasure is not merely one thing that contributes to our well-being, it's the only thing. Similarly, only pain makes us worse off. Mill thinks that a person's life goes well for her just insofar as she is happy. Mill defines “happiness” as pleasure and freedom from pain.
What did John Stuart Mill believe?
Mill did believe in the superiority of socialism, in which economic production would be driven by worker-owned cooperatives. But he also believed in free enterprise, competition, and individual initiative.
What is John Stuart Mill's theory?
John Stuart Mill believed in the philosophy of utilitarianism, which he would describe as the principle that holds "that actions are right in the proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness".
What is pleasure and pain by Jeremy Bentham?
According to Bentham, pleasure and pain govern not only how human beings act but also how human beings ought to act. The principle of utility or the principle of utilitarianism : I ought do that act which will bring about the greatest happiness (pleasure) for the greatest number of persons (the community). 2.
Which of the following best characterizes the difference between Bentham and Mill with respect to their views on individual natural rights?
Which of the following best characterizes the difference between Bentham and Mill with respect to their views on individual natural rights? Bentham thinks that there are no natural rights, whereas Mill thinks that utilitarian moral theory supports the idea that we should recognize individual rights.
How did Mill Criticise Bentham?
Mill thinks an action, if only it conforms to generally accepted rules, creates most pleasure for most people. Bentham considers quantitative pleasure, and Mill considers qualitative pleasure, not just quantitative pleasure.
What does Jeremy Bentham say about utilitarianism?
Jeremy Bentham was a philosopher, economist, jurist, and legal reformer and the founder of modern utilitarianism, an ethical theory holding that actions are morally right if they tend to promote happiness or pleasure (and morally wrong if they tend to promote unhappiness or pain) among all those affected by them.
What did John Stuart Mill believe?
Mill did believe in the superiority of socialism, in which economic production would be driven by worker-owned cooperatives. But he also believed in free enterprise, competition, and individual initiative.
What is Bentham theory of utilitarianism?
Bentham stated that “We should act always so as to produce the greatest good for the greatest number”. A utilitarian would therefore sacrifice their pleasure for the pleasure of the group. Bentham created the utilitarian calculus to aid in the calculation of pleasure or pain.
What is John Stuart Mill's theory?
John Stuart Mill believed in the philosophy of utilitarianism, which he would describe as the principle that holds "that actions are right in the proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness".
What did Bentham say about utilitarianism?
The Classical Utilitarians, Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, identified the good with pleasure, so, like Epicurus, were hedonists about value. They also held that we ought to maximize the good, that is, bring about 'the greatest amount of good for the greatest number'.
What is the distinction between Mill and Bentham?
Instead, Mill makes a distinction is the nature of different kinds of pleasures some of which have more intrinsic value than others for well-being. A Common criticism to both Bentham and Mill is that any theory which purports that to maximize well-being, a concept usually associated with ideas of a moral and idyllic life, ...
What did Jeremy Bentham believe?
Jeremy Bentham believed that all pleasures were of equal quality and thus it was purely the quantity of the pleasure, as measured predominantly by intensity and duration, which determined which action would yield the most well-being . In Bentham’s view, well-being is purely experiential: our pleasurable experiences increase our well-being in ...
What does Mill argue about the pleasures of a swine?
However, Mill clearly and convincingly defends both himself and Bentham on this count arguing that to assume that human’s will search for the pleasures of a swine: those base pleasures of the body, is to misrepresent humans who value the higher pleasures of the mind. Moreover, the higher pleasures of the mind are often more likely ...
What does Bentham view well being?
Bentham views well-being as simply the sum total of pleasure of an individual: in Bentham’s view an esteemed but dissatisfied scientist and philosopher who has a mental breakdown only to indulge greatly in pleasures of the body has a high level of well-being – higher than when dissatisfied earlier in life. Mill would disagree as his view of ...
What is the idea of hedonism?
Hedonism is the idea that well-being of people comes about through pleasure. Pure hedonism is the thought that it arises through and only through pleasure and both Bentham and Mill advocate different approaches for which hedonism may be the basis of human well-being. Both Philosophers then go on to construct theories of morality on the basis ...
Why did the soul choose the body of the oyster?
However, if the angel promised the soul a lifetime as long as desirable in the body of the oyster, then after a certain age, the dull pleasures of the oyster would appear to overtake the intense pleasures of Haydn and so the soul should, according to Bentham chose the body of the oyster to maximize his well-being.
What would happen if all that mattered to us was pleasure?
If all that mattered to us was pleasure, we could plug ourselves into a computer stimulated pleasure making machine that could give us any life we want complete with any pleasure we want. If the sum total of our pleasures were all that mattered, we should be happy to plug ourselves in.
Abstract
John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham are often said to have held opposed views concerning the way “the value” of different pleasures should be estimated. Mill is accused of being an inconsistent utilitarian because he thought that, when comparing the value of two pleasures, we should not forget to take their “quality” into account.
References (1)
This paper starts by considering twentieth century attacks of the idea of the public good from liberal quarters: from social choice theory; public choice theory; and from political liberalism, with reference to Kenneth Arrow, James Buchanan, Joseph Schumpeter and John Rawls.
What is Bentham's comment on the catalogue of pleasures?
Bentham's comment on this is: To the catalogue of pleasures may accordingly be added the pleasures of relief: or, the pleasures which a man experiences when, after he has been enduring a pain of any kind for a certain time, it comes to cease, or to abate.
What is Bentham's definition of pleasure?
Bentham described these as: ...the pleasures resulting from the view of any pleasures supposed to be possessed by the beings who may be the objects of benevolence; to wit, the sensitive beings we are acquainted with; under which are commonly included, 1. The Supreme Being . 2.
What is the pleasure of the organ of smelling?
The pleasures of the organ of smelling. The pleasures of the touch. The simple pleasures of the ear; independent of association. The simple pleasures of the eye; independent of association. The pleasure of the sexual sense.
What is piety in social terms?
Almost in contrast to power, piety is about being reverent and dutiful, including to family, state and church. Social values describe what 'good' is and complying to these rules can make you feel good, particularly in contrast to those wicked people who do not follow the rules as well as you. Bentham said:
What are the pleasures of good repute?
These may likewise be called the pleasures of good repute, the pleasures of honour, or the pleasures of the moral sanction. 6. The pleasures of power. Power gives one the ability to influence others and is a key contributor to one's sense of control. Bentham noted the pain-pleasure aspect of power, describing the pleasures as those that ...
What is the pleasure of amity?
4. The pleasures of amity. Friendship is a classic route to happiness and those with good friends (and who are good friends) can expect to have a longer , more fulfilling life. Bentham described this as follows: The pleasures of amity, or self-recommendation, are the pleasures that may accompany the persuasion of a man's being in ...
What is the meaning of the word "pleasure"?
1. The pleasures of sense. Stimulating the senses in many ways creates arousal , which can often be pleasurable. Bentham describes these as: The pleasures of the taste or palate; including whatever pleasures are experienced in satisfying the appetites of hunger and thirst. The pleasure of intoxication.