Hume, Bentham and Mill 87While it is obvious that this philosophy is concerned with
physical pleasure, is subjective, and in large measure egoistic,
the concept of extent deals with the social aspects of utilitarian
ism. The implication that we all share in pleasures produced by
our actions imposes an obligation to act for the group as well as
the individual. Also, to head off the criticism that this philosophy
could easily result in run-amuck greed, selfish excess, concern
with self, even malevolence towards others, Bentham cites four
social sanctions which he believes will prevent excesses of
behavior.
- The physical sanction: If one overdoes a physical activity,
including eating and drinking, the physical pain that results will
restrain such actions. - The political sanction: If one violates the laws of society for
his own personal pleasure, the law will penalize him, and the
pain should outweigh the pleasure gained. - The moral sanction: If one violates the laws of propriety
and accepted behavior, he will be ostracized, censured, and
suffer the pain of social disapproval. - The religious sanction: If one engages in immoral or
forbidden behavior, the fear of punishment by God or in the
afterlife will restrain the unacceptable behavior.
Thus, while the philosophy is personal, sensual, and subjec
tive, it functions in close interrelationship with society. In fact,
the most moral man is concerned with society, the moral man
with personal pleasure and helping others, and the least moral
man is asocial. The immoral man is one who purposely harms
others.
According to Bentham, the value of an act resides in its
consequences. An intention is good or evil only in so far as it
considers the consequences from the beginning. However, there
is no such thing as a good or bad motive for an intentional act.
One man’s desire for pleasure is as legitimate as another. One’s
motives cannot be selfless or disinterested, since that would be
a contradiction in terms. Each person seeks pleasure, and that is
at the root of all motive; thus morality must be determined by the
only measurable criteria—results.
Finally, his hedonistic calculus, which he felt could be devel
oped to a mathematical certainty, is also called “quantitative
hedonism.” He believed that there is only one kind of pleasure,