Who is jeremy bentham?
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Jeremy Bentham, (1748-1832), believed in the principle of 'the greatest happiness of the greatest number.' Bentham will always be associated with the doctrine of utilitarianism, meaning tat he firmly believed that the best decision is one that brings about the most happiness for the most amount of people. Jeremy Bentham exclaimed 'nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure', therefore proving that Bentham believed that good is what increases pleasure, and bad is what increases pain. Furthermore, Bentham believed that utilitarianism is the foundation of what ethics should be, and he invented the 'Hedonic Calculus', which evaluates whether an action is right or wrong. He also believed that everyone has an equal right to happiness, and that happiness equals the amount of pleasure of an action minus the amount of pain.
Bentham believed that the criteria for measuring if actions are moral are:
Bentham believed that the criteria for measuring if actions are moral are:
- Its intensity: How strong is the pleasure?
- Its duration: How long will the pleasure last?
- Its certainty or uncertainty: How likely or unlikely is it that the pleasure will occur?
- Its propinquity or remoteness: How soon will the pleasure occur?
- Its fecundity: The probability that the action will be followed by sensations of the same kind.
- Its purity: The probability that it will not be followed by sensations of the opposite kind.
- Its extent: How many people will be affected?
Would jeremy bentham use ivf?
We can use the hedonic calculus to find out whether Jeremy Bentham would use in-vitro fertilisation:
we can calculate the amount of pleasure and pain that is received, by giving a rating out of ten for each, and then subtracting the pain from the pleasure. Then, we can add up the 'pleasure minus pain' column, and if the answer is positive a utilitarian would use IVF, however, if the answer is negative they would not.
we can calculate the amount of pleasure and pain that is received, by giving a rating out of ten for each, and then subtracting the pain from the pleasure. Then, we can add up the 'pleasure minus pain' column, and if the answer is positive a utilitarian would use IVF, however, if the answer is negative they would not.
1. Intensity
2. Duration 3. Its certainty or uncertainty 4.Its propinquity or remoteness 5. Its fecundity 6. Its purity 7.Its extent |
Pleasure
8- By using IVF, you will have a baby! Therefore, you will receive a lot of pleasure from this! 9- Once you have given birth to the child, you will be very happy! Your child will keep you happy for many years… 6- By using IVF, you are likely to be very happy with the result of a child- however, IVF does not always work, so this rating is quite low 3- You will need to wait a long time during pregnancy to finally receive what you have been waiting for 8- The probability that the action will be followed by pleasure is higher than birth rates were reproduction has taken place in the womb 3- The act is not likely to be pleasurable if followed by sensations of the opposite kind 9- The act is likely to affect lots of people who will be happy by the act, e.g. relatives of the couple, doctors etc. |
pain
5- the pains on childbirth may be troubling! However, by using IVF, you may have effectively killed three embryos in the process. 4- You are not likely to receive any pain from the joy of having a child, however, troubling events could occur, and the pleasure of a baby may cause pain when giving birth 6- From this act that is likely to give you pleasure, the woman giving birth may receive a miscarriage, or the embryos planted in the woman's womb may not turn into alive foetuses 3- By waiting for the pleasure, you may be pained by a negative result, or with the fact that you are awaiting an event that may not work you to reproduction outside the womb 4- It is unlikely that the event will take a drastic turn and be unsuccessful, because three embryos in the womb is likely to be more successful than one 7- the act is likely to be painful if it is not successful- many people will become upset, some couples may not be able to produce babies 2- Only a few people will receive pain from the action, e.g. the woman giving birth |
Pleasure minus pain:
8 - 5 = 3 9 - 4 = 5 6 - 6 = 0 3 - 3 = 0 8 - 4 = 4 3 - 7 = -4 9 - 2 = 7 |
Total of the pleasure minus pain column:
3 + 5 + 0 + 0 + 4 + -4 +7 = 15
This answer is positive! Therefore, Jeremy Bentham would use IVF, because it would 'provide the greatest happiness for the greatest number!'
3 + 5 + 0 + 0 + 4 + -4 +7 = 15
This answer is positive! Therefore, Jeremy Bentham would use IVF, because it would 'provide the greatest happiness for the greatest number!'