utilitarianism and pleasure/pain

incr in pleasure vs removal of pain bentham

• Bentham’s theory maximises pleasure. We know this because it is the quantity of pleasure that determines the moral thing to do.

• A problem with Bentham is this appears to create moral dilemmas. Gang rape.

incr in pleasure vs removal of pain mill

• Mill’s adjusts however focus not on the removal of the woman's pain but redefining pleasure to make the event less moral.

• Rule utilitarianism could possibly be concerned with the removal of pain. This is because it bans pain causing actions i.e., lying and murder for the majority. Therefore, it could be seen as removing pain.

incr in pleasure vs removal of pain preference

Preference utilitarianism says that hedonism is uncertain and difficult to understand so he removes the concept of pleasure and pain and introduces the idea preference therefore, his utilitarianism is concerned with neither. This is also difficult to understand so easy to reject.

utilitarianism general

• concerned more with the maximisation of pleasure rather than the removal of pain.

• most theories seek to redefine the pleasure being caused when making improvements rather than focusing on the removal of the prospective pain, demonstrating that utilitarianism (despite what theorists claim) is always concerned with the quantity of pleasure caused by an action.