Bentham and Kant

Benthams hedonism

Benthams belief about pleasure and pain make him a hedonist, meaning that he believes that humans are motivated by feeling pleasure and avoiding pain 'Nature has placed mankind under two sovereign masters pain and pleasure; it is them to point out what we ought to do.'
Hedonism is based on humans being motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain as these were good and bad.
Frrom this he developed the utility principle meaning the rightness or wrongness in actions is decided in its usefulness in causing happiness or pleasure. An action is right if it produces the greatest good for the greatest number and minimises pain for the greatest number.

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Bentham relaised there needed to be a set way of measuring which decision would bring about the most pleasure to the biggest number. He devised the 'hedonic calculus'
Intensity: stronger happiness is better than weaker
Duration: Longer lasting pleasure is better than brief
Certainty: An act that would definitely produce pleasure is better than one that only could produce pleasure
Remoteness- The more immediate in time pleasure is, the more relevant it is.
Fecundity- A pleasure that leads to greater pleasure is of greater value that does not lead to more.
Purity- A pleasure with zero pain mixed in is the greatest pleasure.
Extent- The more people sharing the pleasure the better.
In moral dilemmas such as shooting down a potentially suspected plane, by using the hedonic calculus it can give an asnwer for what to do by measuring the pleasure anticipated by the actin of shotting down the plane compared to the pain of not shooting it down and potentially putting more innocent lives at risk.

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Compatible- Bentham is motivated through compassion by using his principle of utility. Paul urged to treat others with compassion in his letters to the corinthians.
'Love thy neighbour as yourself', Jesus recognized self love but more importantly but the bibe also teaches we should help others. This is shown in the parable of the sheep and the goats and Lazarus and the rich man.
There is evidence of Jesus putting rules aside in order to help others, such as healing a man on the sabbath. On some occasions rules had to be put aside to pursue the greatest good for the greatest number.
Not compatible- The bible pays special attention to the vulnerable because we are made in the image of good so we should all be treated equally. Bentham rejected the idea of giving people special rights.
Happiness for Bentham is pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain. For christians happiness is huma flourishing so their ideas differ.
Utilitarianism would not follow any divine laws because it is a secular theory. Bentham had no time for religion. Belief in God is essential for chirstian happiness and for an eternal happiness in the afterlife. Bentham disregards God in his theory.

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Categorical imperative- Moral rules must be universalisable. Always act in a way that that you can also will the maxim of your action should become a universal law (Natural law)
Always act in a way that you would be willing for it to become a general law that everyone should do the same in the same situation.
If you arent willing for the ethical rule you claim to be applied equally to everyone then that rule is not a valid moral rule. Your values and standards must eb something you would adhere to in universal law.
Categrical imperatives cannot be absurd, creating states that cannot possibly work for society. Rules must work for all of society. All humans are equal.
Kant believed all humans are responsible for their action (libertarian) and kant believed that actions that are morally wrong are morally wrong in any circumstance.
Kant is deontological as it is humans duty to obey their moral laws. Kant believed humans seek a supreme good or 'summum bonum' and this is achieved by completing our moral duty but is not achievable on one lifetime. Kant therefore accepted the existence of an afterlife.

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There are two realms, a physcial one and one that is made of ideas. The material world is at battle with the reasonable idea world. Known as Phenomenal and Noumenal realm.
Phenomenal realm is animals driven by insticnt (irrational) and noumenal realm is angels driven by reason (rational). Humans should behave rationally but can get influenced by the irrational realm so is why Humans sit in the middle of the two realms.
The phenomenal realm is insticnt that humans can fall into to deter them from using pure reason.
Kantian decision making involves good will so involves following the law and then using the good will to reach summum bonnum; Reason where all humans are perfectly rational without being influenced by emotion or desire; Categorical imperative- We develop reason to practice the categorical imperative where work to universal laws; and Role models- we can use Jesus as an example on how to be perfectly rational and strives people to be rational role models.

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Compatible- Talks about Jesus being perfectly rational resisting all temptation in the phenomenal realm. He also uses the same argument for God.
Kant sought to locate the concept of God that account for the order and strcuture of the world.
Not compatible- He disregarsds religion as being essential in order to achieve happiness rther promoting pure reason in our decision making. Kant objects to the concept of worhsipping God as it becomes more of a daily chore instead of choosing to follow the laws.
Kant objects to those religious traditions that says Gods grace will save you (salvation) and not your own good behaviour. He believes the other way round of this argument saying humans can still ake good decisions without the influence of an external authority such as God.

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