Utilitarianism
<p>Feb 26, 2009 7:10 PM
 
Originally described by the phrase<b> "the greatest good for the greatest number"</b>, its advocates eventually dropped "the greatest number  (which leaves ...  THE GREATEST GOOD or HIGHEST UTILITY.
 
Jeremy Bentham... the greatest happiness principle.
 
The origins of utilitarianism are often traced as far back as the Greek philosopher <a href="/wiki/Epicurus" title="Epicurus">Epicurus</a>, but, as a specific school of thought, it is generally credited to <a href="/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham" title="Jeremy Bentham">Jeremy Bentham</a>.<a href="#cite_note-1" title=""><sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference">[</sup><sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference">2]</sup></a> Bentham found pain and pleasure to be the only intrinsic values in the world: "nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure." From this, he derived the rule of utility: <b>the good is whatever brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people</b>. Later, after realising that the formulation recognised two different and potentially conflicting principles, he dropped the second part and talked simply about "the greatest happiness principle".
Bentham's foremost proponent was <a href="/wiki/James_Mill" title="James Mill">James Mill</a>, a significant philosopher in his day and the father of <a href="/wiki/John_Stuart_Mill" title="John Stuart Mill">John Stuart Mill</a>. The younger Mill was educated according to Bentham's principles, including transcribing and summarising much of his father's work while still in his teens.<a href="#cite_note-Mill-2" title=""><sup id="cite_ref-Mill_2-0" class="reference">[</sup><sup id="cite_ref-Mill_2-0" class="reference">3]</sup></a>
In his famous short work, <a href="/wiki/Utilitarianism_(book)" title="Utilitarianism (book)"><i>Utilitarianism</i></a>, the younger Mill argues that <b>cultural, intellectual and spiritual pleasures are of greater value than mere physical pleasure because the former would be valued higher than the latter by competent judges.</b> A competent judge, according to Mill, is anyone who has experienced both the lower pleasures and the higher. Like Bentham's formulation, Mill's utilitarianism deals with pleasure or happiness. <b>Mill thought Bentham's focus around pain and pleasure was almost animalistic, he regarded this focus and work around this to be "Pig Philosoph</b>y
 
 
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