What is Consequentialism?
Meet the Mind Behind the Idea Before we delve into "what is consequentialism?" Let's meet the mind behind the idea. A man by the name of Jeremy Bentham was a British philosopher and legal reformer who lived from 1748-1832. He introduced the world to utilitarianism, aka the backbone of modern consequentialism. His big idea? Bentham believed the right action was the one which created the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. He even created something called "hedonic calculus" to try and measure how much pleasure or pain an action would cause a person. He believed laws and ethics should be based on logic and results instead of tradition and emotion. Bentham's work influenced governments, legal systems, and other philosophers, especially John Stuart Mill, who expanded his ideas. * Fun Fact : Bentham's preserved body is still on display at the University College London. So, What Is Consequentialism? ...