2/1/2017 Bentham'sAnIntroductiontothePrinciplesofMoralsandLegislation

BenthamsAnIntroductiontothePrinciplesofMoralsandLegislation

JeremyBenthamsAnIntroductiontothePrinciplesofMoralsandLegislation(1789)isapresentationofan
ethicaltheorythatactionsarerightinsofarastheyproducepleasureorpreventpain,andisanexplanationof
apoliticaltheorythatthepurposeofcivilorcriminallawsistomaximizetheamountofpleasureor
happinesswhichmaybeenjoyedbysociety.Benthamarguesthatifutilityisdefinedastheabilitytoproduce
happiness,thentherightnessofanactionisdeterminedbyitsutility.Benthamalsoarguesthatifhappinessis
viewedastheonlythingwhichisintrinsicallygood,thentheprincipleofutilityistheonlyrightprincipleof
humanaction.

Benthamadvocatesadoctrineofpsychologicalhedonism,thatallhumanactionsaremotivatedbythedesire
toenjoypleasureorpreventpain,andthattheenjoymentofpleasureortheavoidanceofpainistheonly
rationalaimofhumanaction.Healsoadvocatesadoctrineofethicalhedonism,thattherightnessor
wrongnessofanactionisdeterminedbywhethertheactiontendstopromotehappinessorunhappiness.Ifan
actionconformstotheprincipleofutility(i.e.iftheactiontendstopromotehappinessorprevent
unhappiness),thentheactionismorallyright,oratleastisnotmorallywrong.Ifanactiondoesnotconform
totheprincipleofutility(i.e.iftheactiontendstopreventhappinessorpromoteunhappiness),thenthe
actionismorallywrong,oratleastisnotmorallyright.

Benthammaintainsthattheprincipleofutilityistheonlysufficientgroundfordecidingwhetheranactionis
morallyrightorwrong.Theprincipleofsympathyandantipathy(i.e.thefeelingofinstinctiveapprovalor
disapprovalfortheexpectedconsequencesofanaction)isnotasufficientgroundforjudgingthemoral
rightnessorwrongnessofanaction.AccordingtoBentham,theprincipleofsympathyandantipathyis
merelyadispositiontoapproveordisapproveofanactionandisnotanaffirmativeprincipleofmoral
conduct.

Benthamarguesthattheprincipleofutilityisamorallyrightprincipleofactionforeverysituation.Hesays
thattheprincipleofutilitymayalsobedescribedasthegreatesthappinessprinciple,inthatitassertsthatthe
onlymorallyrightandpropergoalofactionistoachievethegreatesthappinessofallindividualswhose
interestisaffectedbytheaction.1

Benthamrejectsthenotionthatthelawofreasonisasufficientprincipleofmorality.ForBentham,such
conceptsascommonsense,theruleofright,thelawofreason,andthelawofnatureareonlytheoreticalor
speculativeprinciplesandcannotbepracticallyappliedtoeverymoralsituation.

Benthamdescribesaquantitativemethod(orhedonisticcalculus)bywhichthemoralrightnessorwrongness
ofanactionmaybecalculatedaccordingtotheamountofpleasureorpainwhichisproducedbytheaction.
Benthamexplainsthatthequantityofapleasureorpainmaydependontheintensity,duration,certaintyor
uncertainty,propinquity,fecundity,andpurityofthepleasureorpain.Thefecundityofapleasureorpain
maybedeterminedbythelikelihoodthatthepleasureorpainwillbefollowedbypleasuresorpainsofthe
samekind.Thepurityofapleasureorpainmaybedeterminedbythelikelihoodthatthepleasureorpainwill
notbefollowedbypleasuresorpainsoftheoppositekind.

AccordingtoBentham,actionswhicharemorallyrighttendtoproducethegreatestpossibleamountof
pleasureandtheleastpossibleamountofpain,whileactionswhicharemorallywrongtendtoproduceeither
alesseramountofpleasureoragreateramountofpainthanotheractionswhichcouldbeperformed.The
totalamountofpleasureorpainwhichisproducedbyanactionmaydependonthetotalamountofpleasure
orpainwhichisexperiencedbyallindividualswhoseinterestisaffectedbytheaction.

Benthamprovidesaclassificationofthevariouskindsofpleasuresandpains.Pleasuresandpainsmaybe
causedbyvariouskindsofsensations,thoughts,emotions,memories,expectations,andassociations.Simple
pleasuresandpainsmaybecombinedtoformcomplexpleasuresandpains.Pleasuremayalsobecausedby
thereliefofpain,andpainmaybecausedbythecessationofpleasure.Pleasuremaybecausedbythe
satisfactionofdesire,andpainmaybecausedbythefrustrationofdesire.

Benthamexplainsthatthesensitivitytopleasureorpainmayvaryamongindividuals,andthateach
individualmayresponddifferentlytothesamepleasureorpain.Ifrewardsforgoodconductorpunishments

http://www.angelfire.com/md2/timewarp/bentham.html 1/3
2/1/2017 Bentham'sAnIntroductiontothePrinciplesofMoralsandLegislation

forbadconductaretobeadministeredfairly,thentheserewardsorpunishmentsmustaccountforthe
differencesthatmayoccuramongindividualsintheirsensitivitytopleasureorpain.

Benthamalsoprovidesaclassificationofmotivesforaction.However,manyofhisargumentsforthetheory
thatmotivesaremorallyneutralarenotonlymisdirectedbutmorallyrepugnant.Forexample,hearguesthat
thereisnodifferencebetweentheaimtoavoidpunishmentbytellingthetruthandtheaimtoavoid
punishmentbytellingalie,becausetheaimineithercaseistoavoidpunishment.Hearguesthatthereisno
differencebetweentheaimtopreserveoneselffromdangerbyhelpinganotherpersonandtheaimto
preserveoneselffromdangerbynothelpinganotherperson,becausetheaimineithercaseistopreserve
oneselffromdanger.Hearguesthatthereisnodifferencebetweentheaimtogainapersonsfavorbybeing
kindtothatpersonandtheaimtogainapersonsfavorbybeingcrueltotheenemyofthatperson,because
theaimineithercaseistogainthepersonsfavor.

AccordingtoBentham,pleasureisintrinsicallygood,andpainisintrinsicallyevil.Themotiveswhich
individualsmayhavefortheiractionsareonlygoodoreviliftheyhavegoodorevilconsequences.Motives
maynotbeintrinsicallygoodorevil,andtheirconsequencesmayvaryaccordingtoeachsituationand
accordingtoeachindividualssensitivitytopleasureorpain.

Benthamtriestojustifytheoppressionofwomenbymenbyarguingthatwomenmaybemoresensitiveto
smallerpleasuresandpainsandthatwomenmaythushaveless"firmnessofmind."2Benthamalsoargues
unsuccessfullythatwomenaremorelikelytoconformtheiractionstotheprincipleofsympathyand
antipathy,andthattheyarelesslikelytoconformtheiractionstotheprincipleofutility.3

Benthamassertsthatifgoodintentionsareproducedbyamotive,thenthemotivemaybedescribedasgood.
Ifbadintentionsareproducedbyamotive,thenthemotivemaybedescribedasbad.Thegoodnessor
badnessofanintentiontoperformaparticularactionmaydependonthematerialconsequencesofthat
action.Thematerialconsequencesofanactionarethesensationsofpleasureorpainwhichareproducedby
thataction.Goodactionsproducepleasure,whilebadactionsproducepain.AccordingtoBentham,motives
produceintentions,andthesumofanindividualsintentionsmayproduceadispositiontoperform,ornotto
perform,aparticularaction.Whetherornotanindividualperformsaparticularactionmaydependonhisor
herdispositiontoperformthatactionandontheparticularcircumstanceswhichmayaffecttheexpressionof
thatdisposition.

Benthamdividesmotivesintotwokinds:1)seducing(orcorrupting),and2)tutelary(orpreservatory).
Seducingmotivesmaycauseanindividualtoperformwrongfulacts,whiletutelarymotivesmaycausean
individualnottoperformwrongfulacts.Tutelarymotivesmaybeeitherstanding(i.e.constant)or
occasional.Standingtutelarymotivesmaygovernanindividualsconductinmost(orall)situations,but
occasionaltutelarymotivesmaygovernanindividualsconductinonlysomesituations.

AccordingtoBentham,theweakerthetemptationthatisrequiredforanindividualtoperformawrongful
act,themorethatperformanceofthiswrongfulactmaytestifytothecorruptionoftheindividuals
disposition.Thestrongerthetemptationthatisrequiredforanindividualtoperformawrongfulact,theless
thatperformanceofthiswrongfulactmaytestifytothecorruptionoftheindividualsdisposition.The
wrongfulnessofanactmaybedeterminedbycalculatinghowmuchpainisgainedandhowmuchpleasureis
lostasaconsequenceoftheact.

Benthamdefinesethicsastheartofproducingthegreatestpossibleamountofhappinessforoneselfandfor
others.4Ethicsisboththeartoffulfillingonesdutytooneself(byexhibitingprudence)andtheartof
fulfillingonesdutytoothers(byexhibitingprobityandbeneficence).Whileprivateethicsisconcernedwith
thepersonalhappinessofanindividual,publicethicsandtheartoflegislationareconcernedwiththe
happinessofallindividuals.Ifanactoflegislationconformstotheprincipleofutility,thenittendsto
increasethetotalhappinessofallindividuals.

Benthamenumeratesfiveclassesofillegaloffensesagainstsociety:1)privateoffensesagainstindividuals,
2)semipublicoffensesagainstgroupsofindividuals,3)selfregardingoffensesagainsttherightsofthe
individual,4)publicoffensesagainstthecommunity,and5)offensesbyactsoffalsehoodorbybreachesof
trust.Benthamarguesthatprivateoffensesagainstindividualsmayincludethoseagainst:1)person,2)
property,3)reputation,4)condition(bybreachofduty),5)personandproperty,and6)personand
http://www.angelfire.com/md2/timewarp/bentham.html 2/3
2/1/2017 Bentham'sAnIntroductiontothePrinciplesofMoralsandLegislation

reputation.Semipublicoffensesmayincludewrongfulactswhichendangerthewellbeingandsecurityofa
particularclassorgroupofindividuals.Publicoffensesmayincludewrongfulactswhichendangerpublic
security,justice,generalhappiness,socialharmony,economicprosperity,ornationalsovereignty.

Benthamarguesthatthepunishmentofillegaloffensesagainstsocietyshouldbeproportionaltotheamount
ofharmwhichiscausedbytheseoffenses.Punishmentofoffensesisnotjustifiedifitisdisadvantageousor
needless.Theamountofpunishmentforanoffenceshouldbesufficienttodeterfurtheroffencesbutshould
notbeunjustorarbitrary.

Benthamalsocontendsthatanyformofpunishmentforviolatingcivilorcriminallawsshouldconformto
theprincipleofutility.Anypunishmentwhichisinflicteduponanoffendingindividualshouldhavea
sufficientgroundfortheinflictionofpainuponthatindividual.Thepurposeofpunishingillegaloffenses
againstsocietyisnotonlytopreventsimilarorgreateroffensesbuttooffersatisfactiontothosewhohave
beeninjuredandtodisciplineandreformtheoffender.

FOOTNOTES
1JeremyBentham,ThePrinciplesofMoralsandLegislation(Amherst:PrometheusBooks,1988),p.1.
2Ibid.,p.58.
3Ibid.,p.59
4Ibid.,p.310.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bentham,Jeremy.ThePrinciplesofMoralsandLegislation.Amherst:PrometheusBooks,1988.

CopywrightAlexScott2004

homepage

http://www.angelfire.com/md2/timewarp/bentham.html 3/3