What is the difference between Mill and Bentham's Utilitarianism?

Both are Utilitarians, meaning that they view the consequences of actions as morally right or wrong, and the rightness of such consequences is determined by the happiness (or pleasure) they bring about. However, what separates Bentham and Mill is the 'type' of happiness that they see as important. Bentham is a quantitative utilitarian, which means that he views all forms of happiness as equal, but sees the amount of happiness as being important. Therefore, the happier someone is in general, the better. However, Mill is a qualitative utilitarian, which means that he does not view all happiness as having equal value. Some happiness, such as happiness that comes from learning or art, is better than other happiness which one might get from baser activities like drinking or sexual activities. Therefore, as an example, Bentham would argue that the happiness one gets from eating a steak should count as much as the happiness one receives from reading a book. Mill, on the other hand, would disagree. For him, the higher pleasure of reading a book is worth more than the lower pleasure of eating a steak.

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Answered by Cara B. Philosophy and Ethics tutor

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