utilitarianism

utilitarianism

Ethics

1. the doctrine that the morally correct course of action consists in the greatest good for the greatest number, that is, in maximizing the total benefit resulting, without regard to the distribution of benefits and burdens

2. the theory that the criterion of virtue is utility

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

utilitarianism

a philosophical school of thought which holds that UTILITY entails the greatest happiness of the greatest number. It is usually associated with Jeremy BENTHAM (1748-1832) and John Stuart MILL (1806-73), although some would argue that the earlier philosophical works of HOBBES, HUME and LOCKE are also utilitarian. This philosophy holds that the realization of utility should be the proper goal in life, but may be hindered by selfish prejudice and ignorance. Behaviour which enhances happiness and reduces pain ought to be encouraged and behaviour which increases unhappiness ought to be proscribed. Utilitarianism, therefore, implies a model of social action in which individuals rationally pursue their own self-interests, with SOCIETY being no more than the aggregation of individuals brought together in the realization of their individual goals. Bentham applied these principles to ECONOMICS, SOCIAL POLICY and LAW. Utilitarianism influenced the creation of many of the 19th-century institutions, many of which still survive, such as the prison and the asylum (see PANOPTICAN). SPENCER was influenced by utilitarian ideas, although DURKHEIM was critical, arguing that SOCIAL ORDER is the outcome of cultural traditions that are not reducible to individual interests. See also JUSTICE.

Collins Dictionary of Sociology, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2000

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Utilitarianism

 

(1) The principle of appraising all phenomena from the point of view of their usefulness or ability to serve as a means for achieving some purpose.

(2) A trend in ethics that considers usefulness to be the basis of morality and the criterion of human behavior. It enjoyed wide popularity in Great Britain in the 19th century, reflecting the viewpoint of certain elements of the English liberal bourgeoisie.

J. Bentham, the founder of utilitarianism, considered the basis of morality to be usefulness, which he identified with pleasure, or happiness. Departing from the naturalistic and extrahistorical understanding of the nature of man, Bentham saw the final purpose of morality as aiding the natural urge of man to experience pleasure and avoid suffering. According to Bentham, the essence of ethical norms and principles consisted in bringing about “the greatest happiness for the greatest number of individuals.” He considered the general prosperity to be the sum of the good of all individuals. In the words of Marx, Bentham “takes the modern shopkeeper, especially the English shopkeeper, as the normal man. Whatever is useful to this queer normal man, and to his world, is absolutely useful” (K. Marx and F. Engels, Soch., 2nd ed., vol. 23, p. 623, note).

The bourgeois point of view is further reflected in Bentham’s ethics in that he brings the problem of moral choice down to the simple calculation of profit and loss—the pleasure and suffering that various acts may entail. John Stuart Mill tried to modify the egoistic features of utilitarian ethics and, as a result, arrived at an eclectic combination of various principles.

REFERENCES

Mill, J. S. Utilitarianism, 3rd ed. St. Petersburg [1900]. (Translated from English.)
Stephen, L. The English Utilitarians, vols. 1–3. London, 1900.
See also references under BENTHAM, JEREMY, and MILL, JOHN STUART.

O. G. DROBNITSKII

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.