Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number

Abstract

3.1 History of the idea During the Middle Ages, it was widely believed that happiness is not possible in earthly life and that the basis of morality was in the word of God. These views were contested in the “Enlightenment”; happiness came to be seen as attainable, and morality was regarded as man-made. A lively discussion on the relation between happiness and morality emerged, and in this climate, an instrumental view on morality appeared, in which ethical codes are seen as ways of securing a happy life. Much of this enlightened thought is reflected in Jeremy Bentham’s (1907) “Introduction to morals and legislation.” Bentham argues that the moral quality of an action should be judged by its consequences on human happiness, and in that line, he claims that we should aim at the “greatest happiness for the greatest number.” Bentham defined happiness in terms of psychological experience, as “the sum of pleasures and pains.” His philosophy is known as “ utilitarianism,” because of its emphasis on the utility of behavioral consequences. “Happyism” would have been a better name, since this utility is seen as a contribution to happiness.