UTILITARIANISM
UTILITARIANISM
A THEORY OF HAPPINESS
J.S. Mill once pointed out that even Jesus was also a utilitarian. He claimed
that “In the golden rule of Jesus of Nazareth, we read the complete spirit of
the ethics of utility.” It points to the fact that when the Christians have to
love their neighbors they wish and practice this love for the welfare and
happiness of others.
For Epicurus, the good life meant avoiding distress and desires for
things beyond one’s basic needs. Bodily pleasure and mental delight
and peace were the goods to be sought in life. This is Ataraxia. Some
words to describe this condition of Ataraxy is calmness or tranquility of
the soul (being free from turmoil, distress)
Epicurus
“pleasure is the goal that nature has ordaaned for us, it is also the standard
by which we judge everything good”
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
According to utilitarianism,
HEDONIC CALCULUS
Eudaimonistic Utilitarianism