Outline Bentham, Mill

Outline Readings
An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789)
(Jeremy Bentham)
Chapter I: Of the Principle of Utility I. Nature has placed mankind under 2 sovereign masters. a. Pain – What is needed to be given up to achieve happiness. b. Pleasure – What is recognized to make us happy.

II. The principal of utility is the foundation of present work.

III. Utility = property in any object that produces benefits: if for the community then the community: if for a particular individual then for that individual.

IV. The community is a fictitious body where everybody gives interests by contributing.

V. Promote interest to an individual when the total amount of pleasure outcomes the total amount of pains.

VI. An action is conformed when it gives greater amount of happiness than it diminish to the community.

VII. A measure of the government is conformed if it increases happiness greater than if it has to diminish it.

VIII. If measure taken by government then has to be conformed to utility principle.

IX. A man is a partisan of the utility principle if his actions augment the happiness of the community regardless of his own conformity or unconformity.

X. An action is conformable to the utility principle if taking one decision is not wrong or true.

XI. To give a proof that the principle of utility works it has to be experienced directly.
Chapter II: Of the Principle Adverse to that of Utility I. The utility principal is the ultimate tool that should be used by government to insure happiness, and any other principals different from it must be wrong.

II. A principal may be opposed to the utility principal in 2 ways: a. Always opposed to it – Asceticism. b. By being sometimes opposed to it.

III. Asceticism in a sense where it has opposite effects of the utility principal.

IV. Sanctions must be taken for people committing crimes.

V. 2 classes of men c. Moralists d. Religionists

VI. Religion and philosophy sometimes collides on decisions.

VII. Creation of doctrines from both sides.

VIII. Asceticism does not work in the business of government.

XI. Establishment sympathy and antipathy principal (approbation/disapprobation) is preferable in most government.

XII. Asceticism is morally not a positive principle because it implies emotions as negotiations.

XIII. Punishment and disapprobation should be proportional to feelings of hate.

Chapter IV: Value of a Lot of Pleasure or Pain, How to be Measured I. Pleasure and Pains are the instruments to measure the value of happiness.

II. To an individual, pleasure and pains are valued according to 4 circumstances, a. Intensity b. Duration c. Certainty or uncertainty d. Propinquity or remoteness

III. Also 2 others factors to consider for estimating the tendency. e. Fecundity – chance it has to be followed be sensations of the same kind. f. Purity – chance it has of not being followed by sensations of the opposite kind.

IV. To multiples persons, (same as points II & III above) + extent (who are affected)

V. Follow the procedure to take an exact account of one person immediately affected. g. Value of each pleasure produced. h. Value of each pain produced. i. Each pleasure produced after the first. (fecundity/impurity) j. Each pain produced after the first. (fecundity/impurity) k. Sum value of pleasure on 1 side and value of pain on the other to balance. l. Repeat the process with each individual affected and involved. VI. This process should always be viewed in every legislative or judicial operation.

John Stuart Mill Outline
Utilitarianism
I. What Utilitarianism is? * An action is right if it promotes happiness and wrong if it promotes the opposite. * The theory of morality is grounded on the theory of life. * Theory of life involves the theory of hedonic value. * Pleasure is the only thing of intrinsic value

II. Some Pleasures Are Better Than Others

* Higher Pleasures (Reading, Writing, Chess) * Lower Pleasures (Sex, Drugs, Alcohol)

III. The Moral Standard * The greatest happiness is achieved by the nobleness of character. * The end of human actions is also the standard of morality defined as “the rules and the precepts for human conduct”.

IV. Of What Sort of Proof the Principle of Utility is susceptible

a. Happiness and Virtue

b. Happiness the Only Intrinsic Good

Review Exercices
Question 5:
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Question 7:
Mill talks about the Greatest-Happiness Principle, which argued that it encompasses intellectual as well as sensual pleasures, and to offer a defense of intellectual pleasures as preferable to sensual pleasures.