PSYC 170 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Imminent Lawless Action, Liberal Feminism, Main Source
Document Summary
According to the classical utilitarianism of bentham, the principle of utility states that actions are right and laws are just when they promote the greatest net balance of happiness, summed across all individuals. Happiness is understood as pleasurable feelings and unhappiness is painful feelings: the only differences in pleasures are quantitative they differ only in the intensity and duration of the feeling itself. Hence, bentham said, other things being equal, pushpin as a good. Rejects bentham"s psychological egoism and view of hedonism (happiness = pleasurable experiences) People may be more happy with the simple life. Mill"s statement of principle of utility (chapter 2, paragraph 2) Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain and the privation of pleasure. Pleasure and freedom from pain are the only things desirable as ends .
