Biography
Jeremy Bentham argued that pleasure and pain govern humanity and that the right act maximises pleasure. His hedonic (felicific) calculus weighs pleasures quantitatively.
Key Ideas
- Act utilitarianism.
- Quantitative pleasure; all pleasures equal in kind.
- Hedonic calculus (PRICED + fecundity).
Topics Appearing In
Key Quotes
“Nature has placed mankind under two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.”Jeremy Bentham
Exam Importance
Contrast Bentham's quantitative act utilitarianism with Mill's qualitative rule approach.