Utilitariansim

Utilitarianism, the brain child of Jeremy Bentham, is the idea that any action should only be sought out if it is beneficial for the majority of people affected. It is an extension of Virtue theory only on a magnified scale, accounting for the effects of an action on the society as a whole. It is teleological, aimed at the goal of extending happiness to as many people as possible and minimizing the amount of evil at the same time. There are two different forms of utilitarianism: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative utilitarianism is unique in that it strives to be an objective science. Bentham formulated an impartial method to quantify pleasures and pains using elements such as: intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity, and extent. This method is very useful in the economic world, used often in cost-benefit analysis and deciding public policy. However, there are many problems with this form. People are generally not content with causing great pain to others, even if it benefits society as a whole. This system neglects any sense of humane treatment of others and fails to realize that economics is not equal to rightness. John Stuart Mill, a second advocate of Utilitarianism, invented the idea of qualitative utilitarianism. Mill saw Bentham’s quantifying system as dehumanizing and replaced it with considerations which are more qualitative in origin. He advocates rule utility, the idea that the greatest good for the greatest number of people for the longest amount of time possible, should be sought out. While still filled with problems of the unequal treatment of people, qualitative utility surpasses quantitative utility because it holds moral and intellectual pleasures higher than physical pleasures. This idea is captured in Mill’s statement, “It is better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.” Mill also distinguishes between happiness and contentment, stating that all pleasures can cause contentment, however only certain