Remarks on Bentham's Philosophy

Classic from the year 2008 in the subject Philosophy - Philosophy of the 19th Century, , language: English, abstract: First published in 1833. Excerpt: It is no light task to give an abridged view of the philosophical

opinions of one, who attempted to place the vast subjects of

morals and legislation upon a scientific basis: a mere outline is

all that can be attempted.

The first principles of Mr. Bentham's philosophy are these--that

happiness, meaning by that term pleasure and exemption from

pain, is the only thing desirable in itself; that all other things are

desirable solely as means to that end; that the production,

therefore, of the greatest possible happiness is the only fit

purpose of all human thought and action, and consequently of

all morality and government; and moreover, that pleasure and

pain are the sole agencies by which the conduct of mankind is

in fact governed, whatever circumstances the individual may be

placed in, and whether he is aware of it or not.

Mr. Bentham does not appear to have entered very deeply into

the metaphysical grounds of these doctrines; he seems to have

taken those grounds very much upon the showing of the

metaphysicians who preceded him. The principle of utility, or as

he afterward called it, "the greatest-happiness principle," stands

no otherwise demonstrated in his writings than by an

enumeration of the phrases of a different description which

have been commonly employed to denote the rule of life, and

the rejection of them all, as having no intelligible meaning,

further than as they may involve a tacit reference to

considerations of utility. Such are the phrases "law of nature",

"right reason", "natural rights", "moral sense." All of these Mr.

Bentham regarded as mere covers for dogmatism, excuses for

setting up one's own ipse dixit as a rule to bind other people.