Jeremy
Bentham was an English philosopher born on the 15th of February 1748
and passed away on the 6th of June 1832. Amongst Utilitarianism,
Jeremy Bentham was an influential figure in many other social issues at the
time, as he concerned himself with politics, animal rights, and helped develop
ideas such as welfarism (the view that the
morally significant consequences are impacts on human welfare), and panopticon (an idea which
allows observers to observe subjects without the subjects’ awareness that they
are being watched)[1].
Perhaps more notably, Jeremy Bentham is also famous for being the teacher of
the moral philosopher: John Stuart Mill. [2]
Jeremy
Bentham’s aim was to have a code of law ruled by utilitarianism. Bentham is,
perhaps, perhaps most well known in his contribution to utilitarianism is in
his theory of pleasure and pain “weights”[3].
Jeremy Bentham developed an idea known as felicific calculus. Felicific
Calculus is a law developed by Jeremy Bentham that produces a degree of
pleasure attained based on the amount of pain or pleasure from the
corresponding action[4].
As a result of this, Jeremy Bentham contended that one can measure the amount
of morality given in any act, based on the amount of pleasure it produces.
According to Bentham, this is measured by seven factors: intensity, duration,
certainty/uncertainty, propinquity/remoteness, fecundity, purity, and extent.
According to Bentham, this was achieved through simple mathematics, which the
pleasures would be weighed up for one party, and then the pain, and if the pleasure
exceeded the pain, it would be considered moral, and likewise if the action
produced an overall pain than it did pleasure.
However,
in Bentham’s theory, we find ourselves at a dilemma. What is to happen in the
case of hypothetical events such as Schadenfreude? What is to happen in events
where the society finds immense pleasure from the pain of another? Is the pain
of the single individual (or party) to be allowed to continue as it normally
would, due to the overall pleasure it produces for the majority?
What is to happen in events where the society finds immense pleasure from the pain of another?
ReplyDeleteThe Romans were certainly into gladiatorial fights to the death and it worked for them for quite a number of generations.
I don't suppose it's out of line to draw comparisons between their morality and beliefs as a society back then - and compare it to the beliefs we hold today.
ReplyDeleteThough my knowledge of Roman history is not exactly my forte, but you raise a good point and I'll be sure to research it further.