Benthams utilitarian principle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Benthams utilitarian principle - Essay Example Based on these theories, societies, along with its member, behaves according to what they thought is applicable and appropriate. Happiness and pleasure against sorrow and pain controls every individual, thus behave according to the amount these opposing nature with the risk of the consequences that their action entails. This utilitarianism principle is what is thought to have governed the world as proposed by Jeremy Bentham. At present, Bentham’s (1781) utilitarian principle is considered as the most appropriate and the most modern among other ethical principles in the society. He regards pain and pleasure as the â€Å"sovereign masters† that control the world. Everyone’s action follows the principle of utility as each person may or may not identify one’s act as one that conforms to the society or not. Experiencing pain and pleasure allows humans to identify the things that they ought to do as well as what they shall do. Being able to identify the actions that are appropriate in the society allows individuals to identify what is right or moral. Furthermore, such actions that are seen to be good and beneficial to a large number of people in the community are then considered to be morally acceptable. On the other hand, when an action is seen to inflict pain and is not pleasing to a majority, it is therefore disapproved and regarded as an immoral act. This idea applies to actions that are considered to be â€Å"for the greater good.† ... Any conduct that that affects a greater number of people in the society should not be implemented and considered unjust. In a given circumstance though, where the conduct affects a small number of people negatively, the community should assume the responsibility of its adverse effects. (role of the government) Right is then associated by the feelings of pleasure, while wrong is associated with pain. These two sensations that every member of the society feels can be quantified, therefore, pleasure in its great amount is deemed best for humanity. Greater pain, on the other hand, is unacceptable in the society, and thus regarded as a violation of the laws set by man and the system that is implementing them. On the other hand, motives play an important role in identifying what is thought to be right and wrong for the community. The principle that is adverse of utility introduces the ideas of asceticism, and sympathy and apathy. Such instances when even an action that offers the least amo unt of happiness or pleasure may be approved by the community. This inverse utilitarian principle recognizes the value of the action even when it does not provide a greater amount of happiness on the condition that it is advantageous for a greater number of people. As Bentham (1781) pointed out, the difference in motives between hope and fear draws down to the same principle that is associated to asceticism. While hope may elicit anticipation for something that is good in the future, fear inhibits a person to do something immoral in order to avoid punishment in the future. Both feelings fall down to preventing the members of the society, no matter which group they belong to,