Or are things just matter in motion? A utilitarian philosophy is used when making social, economic or . doctrine that the useful is the good; especially as elaborated by Jeremy Bentham and James Mill; the aim was said to be the greatest happiness for the greatest number. She would have to consider factors such as the intensity and length of pain or pleasure that might result for both groups. Present Day Hedonism Friendship provides the security that protects ataraxia. 131): [W]hen . We can learn to cope with lifes uncertainties by learning to take a step back from everything and then making a decision on what is best for us. Take the one table in 100,000 that will bankrupt Regina's company if it's recalled. Thus Epicurus says in 'On the Goal (Telos)' : For I at least do not even know what I should conceive the good life to be, if I eliminate the pleasures of taste, and eliminate the pleasures of sexm and eliminate the pleasures of listening, and eliminate the pleasant motions caused in our vision by a visible form. This philosophy holds that virtue is the only good, everything else is indifferent (meaning its neither good nor bad), and no external thing or circumstance can ultimately affect ones character. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Its hard to say which one is the best, as they are both backed up by strong philosophy and rational ideas. Epicurus' 'Letter to Menoeceus' sets out his position as follows (Men. ISBN 10: 0872202410 / ISBN 13: 9780872202412 Just to make my question more clear, I am asking this question strictly to determine whether the motivation for helping others is because it is better for ones self (whether it be by making one more virtuous, or having more pleasure, or more likely both) or whether helping others is an additional goal in and of itself, and additionally whether one ought to help others to the same extent that one helps them self. Instead, the stoics tell us to accept the situation as it is and do our best with what is in our control at the time. Rule utilitarians on the other hand, favor moral actions that are backed by moral rules. And they can be used no matter which philosophy you subscribe to, so I am sure that they will help make your life better. Stoicism tells us that when these things happen, we should not give in to them. Since it was first articulated in the late 19th Century by the likes of Jeremy Bentham and later John Stewart Mill, the classical approach to utilitarianism has since become the basis for many other consequentialist theories such as rule-utilitarianism and act-utilitarianism upon which this essay will focus (Driver, 2009). for only $11.00 $9.35/page. Epicureanism was originally a challenge to Platonism. Epicureanism is actually an umbrella term for a number of philosophies that were founded by Epicurus. In the battle of philosophical ideas, its easy to pit Stoicism vs Epicureanism. In political life we are readily exposed to the hostility of enemies - hardly a recipe for preserving ataraxia. The key is finding a balance, and that balance is the job of a corporate communication team. Epicureanism can be argued to be a form of Hedonism, holding the belief that pleasure is the only source of what is intrinsically good. They also believe that a person should not believe in supernatural forces or divine beings. It is a form of consequentialism. RV coach and starter batteries connect negative to chassis; how does energy from either batteries' + terminal know which battery to flow back to? About 2,000 years after Epicurus, Jeremy Bentham was continuing a utilitarian hedonist approach in his own work, An Introduction to the Principles and Morals of Legislation. This combination of states is held to constitute happiness in its highest form, and so Epicureanism can be considered a . Utilitarianism can also be secular and religious whether by wanting happiness for your own sake or because God desires happiness for his creations. We all saw the extent of corporate greed in the financial scandals of the early 2000s. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'mindbydesign_io-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_5',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-mindbydesign_io-large-leaderboard-2-0');The stoic is not worried about life and death but trying to make his life have more meaning, while the Epicurean is living a short and easy life. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'mindbydesign_io-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',107,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-mindbydesign_io-medrectangle-3-0');Stoicism is a school of philosophy that thrived from approximately 300 BC to 200 AD (though similar philosophies and beliefs existed prior to and after that period). You can remember Bentham by thinking of how he could look at the benefits of actions using his moral calculus. Political Science 103: Comparative Politics, DSST Introduction to World Religions: Study Guide & Test Prep, Introduction to World Religions: Certificate Program, Introduction to World Religions: Help and Review, Philosophy 103: Ethics - Theory & Practice, Business 104: Information Systems and Computer Applications, Create an account to start this course today. Deontology takes the universally accepted codes of conduct into account whereas, utilitarianism does not take universally accepted codes of conduct into account. The Epicurean will live an easy life with lots of free time while the stoic is usually busy achieving virtue. Your task for this written response is to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between them, other than being ancient and modern. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply.See Wiktionary Terms of Use for details. Continue with Recommended Cookies. In this way qualities like virtue and justice derive from these roots. Why is perseverance important in leadership? (Dodds, Lecture 2) Kantian moral theory and Utilitarianism are two theories that attempt to answer the ethical nature of human beings. The biggest difference is between the sanction theory, on the one hand, and the secondary principle and pre-eminent goods conceptions, on the other hand, because the first is an indirect utilitarian conception of rights, whereas the second two are compatible with direct utilitarianism. These are just some of the important principles that we need to learn in order to live a better life in a world that is full of hardships and tragedies. They have different values, but both teach us how to live a life full of meaning. Is utilitarianism an idea one should live by? In other words, how can a company best serve its own interests as well as those of its stakeholders? The doctrine that virtue is founded in utility, or that virtue is defined and enforced by its tendency to promote the highest happiness of the universe. What if that person is the next Bernard Ebbers of WorldCom or Kenneth Lay of Enron? Consequentialism is a theory that says whether something is good or bad depends on its outcomes. Mill defines utilitarianism as a theory based on the principle that "actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness." Mill defines happiness as pleasure and the absence of pain. Epicureans put a focus on pleasure, but it is unclear from any material I've seen whether this the goal is one's own pleasure, the pleasure of everyone equally, or some more complicated interaction. 4. Both of these philosophies have their pros and cons. Both philosophers teach acceptance of all actions. There are two types of utilitarians: Act utilitarians and Rule. Epicureanism is a particular form of hedonism. When we are stressed, we react in a negative way towards those around us. They also teach us about acceptance, trying to do the best that we can, and living a life that were proud of. Today I will be focusing on two ways to determine which actions bring the greatest amount of pleasure to a situation: act and rule utilitarianism. Utilitarianism has a view of the good life which Mill argues for, namely: that pleasure and freedom from pain are the only things that are desirable as ends, and that everything that is desirable at all is so either for the pleasure inherent in it or as means to the promotion of pleasure and the prevention of pain. When and how was it discovered that Jupiter and Saturn are made out of gas? As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 Utilitarianism and other consequentialist theories are in opposition to egoism, the view that each person should pursue his or her own self-interest, even at the expense of others, and to any ethical theory that regards some actions (or types of action) as right or wrong independently of their consequences ( see deontological ethics ). Many people have lost sight of the fact that they are living a life of their own, free from outside influences and expectations. The stoic does everything for himself and the Epicurean does nothing for himself. Ancient Greek Philosophies: Ancient Greece was a critical period for the development of Western civilization in a myriad of ways. So in the case of Regina's problem at her table company, Bentham could look at the situation and ask, 'Which action truly maximizes happiness for the most people?' So which philosophy is best? Stoics believe that we must focus on the things that are under our control, and not worry about external forces. Stoic philosophers believe that the only evil is fear, which leads to irrational behavior. Epicureanism definitely makes you feel like youre not alone in the world. One of the most important, and easiest to cultivate, is perseverance. Utilitarianism's goal is for a great number of people to be happy and not self. Therefore, this concept treats the intentions or the act itself as irrelevant. To remember his name, you can think about how Epicurus was curious about pleasure. When life throws at us a difficult situation that we cannot control, we should not give in to stress. This website helped me pass! People often wonder why life is precious. For example, Utilitarianism makes more a distinction between higher pleasures and lower pleasures. What are the differences between Plato and Aristotle's views? At what point of what we watch as the MCU movies the branching started? Which philosophy is better is up to each individual person to decide. Bentham's case on the other hand is the one for the "greatest happiness" of all. If you enjoyed this article Stoicism vs Epicureanism let us know by leaving a comment, sharing it or bookmarking it: Taking up the practice of the stoic philosophy is easier than it seems. Epicureanism was introduced into Rome in the early second . The most important difference between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism is that in act utilitarianism it is not necessary to follow general rules of action, but only look at each particular case, while in rule utilitarianism you have to follow certain general rules of action. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Epicureanism: the view that pleasure, as the chief good, is best achieved through tranquility, which is best achieved by avoiding unnecessary pleasures and seeking only those which will prevent pain, which leaves us with little to fear losing. They might burn a few bridges trying to get ahead, but not too many people really get hurt. He believed that the purpose of philosophy was to reach a state of pure happiness, free from fear and outside pressures. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. What is utilitarianism? To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. One of the clearest contributions of the ancient Greeks to Western civilization was in terms of philosophy, and three important Greek philosophies were Skepticism, Epicureanism, and Stoicism. Therefore, the value and worth of any given action should be evaluated in terms of its ability to produce happiness. It is not entirely clear what Epicurus meant by 'pleasure'. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Utilitas , Volume 10 , Issue 3 , November 1998 , pp. Everyone's pain and everyone's pleasure are of equal importance. 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