Jeremy Bentham Flashcards
JEREMY BENTHAM
rich guy, sat around thinking about politics.
Jeremy’s main idea to explain politics & human behavior is?
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism
Pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain.
rationale
people pursue pleasure and avoid pain
law is not exception
how much pleasure (good) or pain (bad) a law contains
value of a law is based on this- not its righteousness
is their more pleasure or pain
intensity
is it intense (acid) or not (fleeing)
intensity
hurt a lot or not
duration
chocolate mouth - swallow its over.
what makes a just vs unjust law
pain fleeing and pleasure long duration “good law” & vice versa (unjust law)
certainty or uncertainty (fruition not as bad)
pain and/or pleasure is always produced by the law
extent (# of people affected)
pain & pleasure to the great number.
51 out of 100 (fundamental fault)
Bentham “good law” even if 49 suffering.
fundamental fault of democracy
tremendous pain small amount, but large population benefits.
What is the foundation of present work
Utility
what are the four measures of pleasure & pain
intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity vs remoteness
should each be considered by itself?
yes
how do you estimate tendency of an act?
fecundity and purity
fecundity
followed by pleasure or pain of the same kind
purity
followed by pleasures or pain of the opposite kind
is fecundity and purity only property of the act itself or event?
yes
fecundity and purity only taken into account in tendency?
yes
extent
who are affected by it
