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Simple English definitions for legal terms
hedonistic utilitarianism
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A quick definition of hedonistic utilitarianism:
Hedonistic utilitarianism is a philosophy that believes the best way to make society better is by creating the most happiness for the most people. This means that actions should be judged based on how much pleasure they bring and how much pain they cause. The theory also believes that pleasure is good and pain is bad. It was created by Jeremy Bentham and is sometimes called Benthamism.
A more thorough explanation:
Hedonistic utilitarianism is a type of utilitarianism, which is a philosophical and economic doctrine that believes the best social policy is one that does the most good for the greatest number of people. This ethical theory judges the rightness or wrongness of actions based on the pleasure they create or the pain they inflict, and recommends whatever action creates the greatest good for the greatest number.
For example, if a law is being considered, hedonistic utilitarianism would measure its validity by determining the extent to which it would promote the greatest happiness to the greatest number of citizens. This theory is most prominently found in the work of Jeremy Bentham, whose "Benthamite utilitarianism" greatly influenced legal reform in 19th-century Britain.
Hedonistic utilitarianism generally maintains that pleasure is intrinsically good and pain intrinsically bad. Therefore, inflicting pain, such as punishing a criminal, is justified only if it results in a net increase of pleasure by deterring future harmful behavior.
Overall, hedonistic utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory that focuses on maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain for the greatest number of people.