Customer Reviews:
 A good edition with a few flaws August 31, 2008
The other reviewers have made good observations about the text, so it might be helpful to shoppers to also know something about the book itself. This edition has the appearance of a facsimile (though none of the s's that look like f's, which is nice) with ample margins for notes. The only thing crowding the margins are Bentham's own summaries of each paragraph's contents, which are extremely helpful and short enough that they don't really rob you of substantial note-taking space. One disappointment was that, unlike the Dover edition, this book has neither a detailed table of contents nor an index. Also the book is fairly cheaply bound; the cover flap on my copy has started to curl after only a few weeks of use, and the glue in back doesn't look like it will last forever, or 10 years for that matter. But I suppose you're only paying $10, and for those who are interested in this influential and controversial philosopher, this book isn't a bad way to go.
 Wow! Locke sure kept busy on that island! August 13, 2008
Not sure why he changed his name, but he sure wrote a bunch of great books! Way to go you bald headed head butting island man!
The Principles of Ethics and Economics July 18, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Jeremy Bentham's Bentham Utilitarianism is essentially based on his atheism.Bentham wants to come up with a decision making calculus which is simultaneously applicable to issues in economics(politics)and ethics(morals).Bentham claims that for all actions there are two distinctly measurable outcomes,pain and pleasure. Bentham comes up with a Principle of Utility(p.1).This essentially boils down to the observation that positive utility(pleasure) is generated by activities that generate pleasure while negative utility(pain) is generated by activities which generate pain.One can approve or disapprove of any action to the extent that it increases happiness(pleasure)or decreases pain.Approve ,in Bentham's system,translates as good or right.Disapprove,in Bentham
's system, translates as bad or wrong.How is this system implemented ? Bentham claims that there are lots(units) of pleasure and pain that all decision makers can calculate precisely and exactly.The value of the lots will be more or less depending on the duration,intensity,and certainty of the pleasure.All actions are equally good if the sum of the amounts of pleasure resulting from each action is equal.This is where economists come up with their indifference curve analysis.Unfortunately,Bentham fails miseribly in his attempt to demonstrate that human decision makers have the capacity to calculate exactly in quantitative terms.He merely asserts it:" ...who is their who does not calculate ? Men calculate,some with less exactness,indeed,and some with more:but all men calculate.I would not say,that even a madman does not calculate".(p.188)
Bentham is the founder of both Classical and Neoclassical economics.Smith explicitly rejected Bentham's arguments in The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759;sixth edition,1790)some 28 years before Bentham decided to eliminate conscience(Smith's impartial spectator) and substitute utility.It is easy to see that the modern Benthamite approach is to combine the Bayesian ,subjectivist approach to probability of F Ramsey,B De Finetti,and L Savage with the game theoretic,expected utility approach to utility of von Neumann and Morgenstern to obtain the Subjective Expected Utility (SEU)approach which is the fundamental foundation of all neoclassical economics.All neoclassical economists are required to accept this theory on pain of excommunication.Any economist ,who claims that he is not a neoclassical economist ,but who fervently supports SEU,is a neoclassical economist.Only risk,usually represented by the standard deviation of a normal probability distribution
,exists in SEU.Keynes demonstrated that SEU is a very special theory that only is sound when the weight of the evidence,w, supporting the estimate of the probabilty relation, is complete.w has a value of 1.Only in this case can a decision maker define a single probability distribution to represent his preferences.Only in this case can the standard deviation represent the risk involved.A value of w < 1 means that decisions are being made in conditions of partial ignorance.A value of w=0 means decisions are being made in total ignorance.One can just as easily work with D Ellsberg's rho index.A rho = 1 allows a decision maker to specify a single unique probability distribution.A rho value less than one requires a set of different possible distributions.A rho =0 means that no distribution can be used.Note that this only deals with the nature of the probabilities.The outcomes themselves may also have to be represented as intervals.This is the case with the very strange Kahneman-Tversky battlefield and rare Asian disease problems which were put forth by them as cases of decision making under uncertainty with either w or rho < 1.Yet Kahneman and Tversky claimed that the decision maker had exact,precise point probabilities and exact,precise outcomes attached to the point probabilities.This made no sense either in theory or to the experimental subjects subjected to this kind of bizarre decision problem.
It is extremely important to read Bentham's book in order to understand modern day approaches to decision making.The modern approach merely rewrites Bentham's book using more up to date mathematical techniques and formal exposition.The ideas are the same.
Interrogation of the Principles Behind Moralsand Legislation December 13, 2004
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Jeremy Bentham's ideology on human pursuit of pleasure contains many strengths and weaknesses. Bentham's essay, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, separates the two root drives of human essence into categories of pleasure and pain. Bentham stresses the duality of the human mind's pursuit of pleasure, continuing from subjugation of others for ultimate attainment. He states that humans should not be grouped, due to personal conviction and perspective. Although the individual is part of a community, the individual's own pursuance of pleasure categorizes them as a utility; resulting in the term `utilitarianism.'
Several principles are listed by Bentham to support his argument that humanity has a distinct set of motives to create happiness or malcontent amongst the masses. Bentham relates these principles with empowered political bodies and why they continue to rule. One of Bentham's principles, the principle of sympathy and antipathy, praises the human ability to generally accept certain actions as an impersonal blow. Thus, if a utility does not feel threatened or in err, why relate consequences of actions to personal welfare? In turn, should that individual measure out the consequences of others' actions fearing for their own external welfare?
Bentham's perspective on human methodology as a strict functioning environment of social cues has many flaws. Determination of values as `right' or `wrong' does not review the complexities of human social environment. Empowerment was not an anti-puritanical event that occurred in society; but a constitution of human need for order. Bentham suggests that "principle is something that points out some external consideration, as a means of warranting and guiding the internal sentiments of approbation and disapprobation"(75). Assertion of principle as influence on human external action suggests a strong moral power present in an individual's everyday life. Perhaps the rebellion of moral principle has an antipathic effect on moral judgement. The pleasure produced by rebellion of principle dictates a return to instinctual roots; excluding the `civilizing' factor.
Bentham's open acknowledgement that asceticism violates the nature laws of human government, and cannot be fully pursued, illustrates the ties between the Catholicism and enlightened despotism. The origin of Catholicism and despotism, according to Bentham, stems from an unrealistic aim to impose a standard of morality on the masses. His criticizing of saints best illustrates an open reaction to the weakness of asceticism. Bentham states that, "though many persons of this class have wielded the reins (sic) of empire, we read of none who have set themselves to work, and made laws of purpose"(73). Unfortunately, his touting of utilitarianism above the principle of asceticism, as a proper way to establish a governing body, is only comparative with traditional social classification in the eighteenth century.
Bentham proposed a new way to establish morality and just governmental action from traditional monarchical rule. The imposed Rule of Right, whereas kings justified rule as eternal over his people and empowered by God, was a shifting environment that came into question in Bentham's lifetime. Utilitarianism provided an answer to strategic social problems that came with new leadership apart from a monarchy. Moral advocating by reformers as something an individual instinctually knows is right, was a key concept in utilitarianism. Therefore, pursuance of pleasure above pain would produce just results in a newly formed government.
Pleasure, in the strictest sense, took a prominent place in executive rule over a government. Bentham also writes that good tendency sometimes counteracts pursuance of pleasure in legislative and judicial matters. He best expresses this by writing, "It is not to be expected that this process should be strictly pursued previously to every moral judgement"(88). Considering the objective process of judicial decision as a moral and just environment was revolutionary. Morality, without the ties of asceticism, could and did exist in a ruling environment, ultimately usurping previous ideas that Rule of Right contained eternal, prophetic principle. Bentham's ideas set a cornerstone for other studies of social morality, thus contributing to the new field of sociology.
Bentham's idea of human pleasure and pain being either simple or complex seems very generalistic in approach. He suggests that pleasure and pain are bound into simple and complex categories, therefore never transpiring into different classifications. The elementary view on pursuance of pleasure and pain seems vague for a study of the human condition. Bentham writes that, "the simple ones are those which cannot any one of them be resolved into more," creating a moral quandary (90). For example, Bentham's idea that "the end of the law is to augment happiness" is a just principle of government (97). Unfortunately, law must sometimes contain happiness to produce security. Duality of principle is discussed in his writings, but for every dark and light area there is a gray area.
Jeremy Bentham pioneered root elements of human motivation and morality. He conceptualized a government that founded itself on pursuance of pleasure as just rule. Character of individuals is attained through positive motivation, but for every individual of good character lies the possibility of bad character. Corruption was possible, and presented itself in many forms throughout human history. Efforts to catalogue unpleasant and pleasant dispositions find that government that is founded on positive principle is always corrupted by human condition. Jeremy Bentham's approach in rediscovery of individual strains, through principles, shed a new light on morality.
I hope you enjoy this work as much as I did.
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