Utilitarianism as a Theory of Justice

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the concept of utilitarianism from a number of different angles and pays heed to writers such as John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. The paper discusses the concept of rights and whether or not utilitarianism does fail as a theory of justice and whether or not it prioritises collective welfare over the individual.

From the Paper:

"John Stuart Mill was also a strong advocate of utilitarianism, but he took a slightly different view to Bentham. In one of his most famous works "Utilitarianism" he differed from Bentham's views, he supported a view of utilitarianism that saw the individual not just as enhancing welfare but behaving in such a way that would enhance so that they could enhance their own welfare. However this view of utilitarianism still arguably treats people as producers of welfare rather than individuals and it still suppresses the interest of the individual underneath those of collective welfare. John Charvet discusses this when he says, "As disinterested moral agents men must treat each other, in respect of their potential for producing pleasure and pain." "

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