Deck 12: Jeremy Bentham

Question 1

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Write an essay critically examining the principle of utility as the supreme principle of morality. What is the principle, and how would one go about applying it? Do you think the principle of utility is correct? Why or why not?

Answer 1

No Answer

Question 2

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-What is the principle of sympathy and antipathy, as Bentham describes it? What objections does Bentham raise to the principle? Do you think they are good ones? Defend your answer.

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-What are the "four sanctions" that Bentham discusses? Give an example of each sanction. Do Bentham's categories provide a useful way of thinking about harm and benefit?

Answer 3

No Answer

Question 4

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-How does Bentham think that we should go about deciding how to behave in our everyday lives? Do you find this to be a plausible method of making moral decisions? Why or why not?

Question 5

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Under what "two sovereign masters" has mankind been placed, according to Bentham? What exactly does he mean by this? Does this provide a plausible account of human action? Why or why not?

Question 6

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-What is the principle of utility, and how does Bentham think it can be established? Does the principle of utility provide a reliable guide to our moral obligations? Defend your answer.

Question 7

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-How do we go about measuring utility, in Bentham's view? To what extent does he think that utilitarian calculations should play a role in our everyday lives? Do you agree with his view?

Question 8

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Bentham claims that nature has placed mankind under two sovereign masters:

A) pain and pleasure.
B) good and evil.
C) God and the devil.
D) duty and self-interest.

Question 9

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-The principle of utility states that:

A) an action is good to the extent that it promotes the happiness of all it affects.
B) it does not matter whether an action is right, only whether it is useful.
C) we should never treat others as a mere means to our own ends.
D) we ought to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Question 10

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-According to Bentham, the principle of utility is appropriately applied to:

A) individuals.
B) governments.
C) both a and b.
D) neither a nor b.

Question 11

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-The principle of sympathy and antipathy states that:

A) we ought to be sympathetic to our friends, but not to our enemies.
B) actions are right because we approve of them.
C) actions are right because an impartial person would approve of them.
D) actions are right because God approves of them.

Question 12

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-According to Bentham, considerations of pain and pleasure determine:

A) what we ought to do.
B) what we will do.
C) both a and b.
D) neither a nor b.

Question 13

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-According to Bentham, a thing promotes a person's interest when it:

A) promotes the interest of the community.
B) diminishes the sum total of the person's pains.
C) adds to the sum total of the person's pleasures.
D) both b and c.

Question 14

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Concerning the relationship between morality and theology, Bentham claims that:

A) we must first know whether something is right before we can know whether it conforms to God's will.
B) we must first know whether something conforms to God's will before we can know that it is right.
C) God exists, but does not concern himself with matters of morality.
D) God does not exist.

Question 15

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Bentham insists that the ultimate cause of any act is:

A) pain.
B) pleasure.
C) sympathy.
D) both a and b.

Question 16

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Bentham refers to the sources of pleasure and pain that can be used as a means of enforcing a law or rule of conduct as:

A) incentives.
B) sanctions.
C) penalties.
D) inducements.

Question 17

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Bentham claims that pleasures and pains can be greater or less according to their:

A) intensity.
B) duration.
C) certainty or uncertainty.
D) all of the above.

Question 18

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Bentham defines the fecundity of a pleasure or pain as:

A) its chance of occurring.
B) the degree to which it is felt.
C) its chance of being followed by sensations of the same kind.
D) how long it lasts.

Question 19

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-In Bentham's terminology, asceticism is the view that:

A) actions are good insofar as they diminish happiness.
B) we should only enjoy "higher" pleasures, and avoid "lower" ones.
C) the happiest life is a simple one.
D) actions are good insofar as we approve of them.

Question 20

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Bentham claims that actions are right or wrong in virtue of:

A) the motives behind them.
B) their consequences.
C) both a and b.
D) neither a nor b.

Question 21

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Bentham claims that of the four sanctions of pain and pleasure, the most fundamental is:

A) physical.
B) religious.
C) political.
D) psychological.

Question 22

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Bentham claims that utilitarian calculations:

A) should be performed prior to each action.
B) need not be performed before each action, but should always be kept in mind.
C) are merely a formal device, and do not have practical application.
D) are fundamentally flawed.

Question 23

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-The principle of sympathy and antipathy approves or disapproves of certain actions simply because men find themselves disposed to approve or disapprove of them.

Question 24

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-The principle of utility approves of actions insofar as they augment the happiness of the affected parties.

Question 25

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Bentham asserts that to call an action right simply means that it conforms to the principle of utility.

Question 26

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-According to Bentham, it is impossible to prove the principle of utility directly.

Question 27

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Bentham claims that a calculation concerning pleasures and pains should be performed prior to every action or legislative operation.

Question 28

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-The principle of utility approves of actions according to their tendency to promote happiness.

Question 29

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-Bentham claims that the principle of utility is correct because God commands us to follow it.

Question 30

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-According to Bentham, different pleasures and pains differ in their intensity and duration.

Question 31

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-In Bentham's view, pleasure and pain determine what we will do, but not what we ought to do.

Question 32

Jeremy Bentham: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Bentham endorses both a descriptive and a normative version of hedonism, the view that the human good is pleasure and absence of pain. According to the descriptive version, all human actions are performed for the sake of obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. According to the normative version, what we ought to do is determined solely by considerations of pleasure and pain. As a development of this normative thesis, Bentham goes on to endorse the principle of utility, the claim that an action is right when it tends to add to the sum total of the pleasures of those affected, where this "sum" is conceived of as the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain.
Bentham claims that the words right and wrong can have no other meaning than that laid out by the principle of utility, and that alternative moral theories usually end up invoking utilitarian considerations. Nonetheless, Bentham admits that the principle of utility cannot be directly proved, because it is the foundational principle from which ethical arguments begin. Bentham critiques the rival "principle of sympathy and antipathy" according to which an action is right if and only if one approves of it. This principle, Bentham objects, is really no principle at all, for a principle is supposed to tell us when our attitudes are justified, but the principle of sympathy and antipathy merely assumes in advance that our attitudes have such justification.
Taking the principle of utility as established, Bentham concludes with a discussion of how we are to apply it. He distinguishes four sources of pleasure and pain: physical, political, moral, and religious. He then discusses the various ways in which pleasures and pains can be quantitatively different. Determining our moral obligations requires weighing various pleasures and pains against each other, and seeking the greatest balance between them. Bentham notes that we needn't perform such calculations every time we act, but insists that we should always keep them in the back of our mind.
-According to Bentham, the principle of utility should be applied to individual actions, but not to government policies.