In this philosophy, the best action is the one that increases pleasure for the greatest number of people. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ), and was one of the most popular schools of Hellenistic philosophy (together with Platonism and Stoicism ). As intelligent beings, we try to solve these problems by taking the path that best benefits us. Deontology takes the universally accepted codes of conduct into account whereas, utilitarianism does not take universally accepted codes of conduct into account. Deontology noun The science which relates to duty or moral obligation. (N.W. For example, Utilitarianism makes more a distinction between higher pleasures and lower pleasures. She would have to consider factors such as the intensity and length of pain or pleasure that might result for both groups. A system of philosophy based upon the teachings of (c. 340c. All of our actions are a reaction to something or someone. He was known as a hedonist because he was a person who focuses their life on maximizing pleasure. Jeremy Bentham also believed that human beings are governed by pain and pleasure and aimed to calculate how to achieve the most good for the most people. We'll refer to the philosophies of three individuals: Epicurus, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill. The most famous version of this theory is utilitarianism. The difference between these lives is a matter of their global trajectories and these cannot be discerned from the standpoint of its individual moments. Many people have lost sight of the fact that they are living a life of their own, free from outside influences and expectations. (Dionenes Laertius, ibid.) Epicureanism is a particular form of hedonism. [Public Domain], Wikimedia Commons for only $11.00 $9.35/page. Do you know the difference between act and rule utilitarianism? Utilitarianism maintains the Epicurean analysis that humans naturally hunt for pleasure and evade pain, but while Epicureans acclaim pleasure seeking and pain evasion for their effects on the emotional state of the actor, utilitarian employ it to express the consequentiality observation that a good act minimizes pain and maximizes pleasure. Some of these may have been called neo-Platonism or Pyrrhonism. Today, the most well-known strain of thought within this school is Epicurean Hedonism. Rule utilitarians on the other hand, favor moral actions that are backed by moral rules. Since one of the conditions of friendship is that one takes one's friend's interests into account in their own right, and not simply for one's own benefit, this rules out a strictly egoistic view of friendship and pleasure. They have been widely debated by philosophers and social reformers. The main difference is that Utilitarianism believes that people should be able to make their own decisions about what is right and wrong, while epicureanism believes that people should follow the examples of those . The first step is to stop and take a step back from every days stressful events and situations. Similar to other doctrine, utilitarianism is not without a flaw. In this lesson, we'll look at the ethical approach taken by utilitarian thinkers and how they might view Regina's challenge. We should not be so afraid of the uncertainty that we become illogical in our thinking and this prevents us from doing things that are helpful for us. Both philosophies are thought to be good, but more importantly, they teach us how to live and be wise. The laws where her business is located might dictate that she must order a recall or face penalties since her faulty tables could cause harm. We can turn our worries and fears into a source of motivation that helps us to become better people in this world. Is pursuing virtue worth the trouble of trying to control what you can and accepting the rest? Friendship provides the security that protects ataraxia. Epicureans believe that the best thing we can do is to forget about what is going on in our lives and instead focus on living a life with meaning and purpose. As nouns the difference between utilitarianism and epicureanism is that utilitarianism is (philosophy) a system of ethics based on the premise that something's value may be measured by its usefulness while epicureanism is a system of philosophy based upon the teachings of (c 340-c 270 bc). Ancient Greek Philosophies: Ancient Greece was a critical period for the development of Western civilization in a myriad of ways. 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. Epicurean v. Utilitarian Tendencies Which of these two philosophies a CEO or CFO leans toward can drastically affect an organization's reputation. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Rist, Epicurus : An Introduction, Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1972, 128-9.) The philosophy of Epicurus (341-270 B.C.E.) Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who founded the Epicurean school of thought. 4 (Nov., 2001), pp. The distinction between the two, as Hedonism seeks to maximise the net pleasure experienced in life, as total pleasure offset by total pain. By this is meant that in making decisions the utilitarian must consider the steps which lead to the highest level of goodness in society. Those people arent generally the ones Id want to associate with, but they dont seem to pose a huge threat to the wellbeing of society. A follower of Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill ultimately saw pleasure in a different way than Bentham. A stoic will try to live a life free from distraction, pain, and fear by thinking about things they have no control over. These are the things we should learn to let go of. Abstract. | 10 Utilitarianism is a theory which bases on the end purpose (teleological) of achieving pleasure, our decisions should be based on consequences in pursuit of the principle of utility (consequentialist) and is a theory which judges each situation independently (relativistic). Epicureanism is a system of philosophy based on the teachings of Epicurus, founded around 307 B.C. Utilitarianism is the most common form of consequentialism, which is the theory that an act is morally right or wrong depending on the consequences it produces. The main difference between Mill's and Bentham's conception of Utilitarianism is that Mill, though a consequentialist, makes a case for the qualitative aspects of happiness. According to Shaw and Barry, act utilitarianism states that we must ask ourselves what the consequences of a particular act in a particular situation will be for all those affected (p.60). For Epicurus, the consequences of our actions do matter and other people matter too. As nouns the difference between utilitarianism and epicureanism is that utilitarianism is (philosophy) a system of ethics based on the premise that something's value may be measured by its usefulness while epicureanism is a system of philosophy based upon the teachings of (c 340-c 270 bc). 353 - 367. Published by Hackett Publishing Co, Inc, 1994. Should I include the MIT licence of a library which I use from a CDN? Epicureanism was introduced into Rome in the early second . The job of a corporate communication team is to figure out a working balance between epicureanism and utilitarianism. I feel like its a lifeline. The stoics were able to live contented and happy lives despite the fact that they were living in a world of hardship and torture. I highly recommend you use this site! Though birthed from the same. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The stoic has no fear of death, while the Epicurean struggles with being alone in the world. I never claimed that it was the pursuit of sensual pleasure. So a stoic will study what they can control, and then focus on what happens in their life. It does seem fairly clear, however, that 'maximisation' of pleasure does not capture his view. Our own internal feelings also help regulate our actions.'. (What you can do to develop it)Continue. Utilitarianism is the belief that the best action is the one that increases pleasure for the greatest number of people. It helped me pass my exam and the test questions are very similar to the practice quizzes on Study.com. Well believe it or not, this sleepy-sounding title actually starts out with a bold statement about human beings. Both philosophies agree that we should do this in order to live a better life. Physical pleasures and pains, he suggested, had to do with the present. Epicureanism is actually an umbrella term for a number of philosophies that were founded by Epicurus. According to one ancient author: They [the Epicureans] advocate withdrawing from the world. We become angry, upset and defensive. A decision can be defined as ethically correct under the theory of Utilitarianism if the moral choice provides the 'greatest good for the greatest number of people', proving that at the core of Utilitarianism are the ideals of pleasure and consequence. The opposite of stoicism is the belief that feeling emotions are a natural, healthy, and important part of life. Virtue Ethics Yep, all created by someone, Read More The best way to predict the future is to create itContinue, What are the characteristics of a hardworking person? Epicurus himself was born in 341 BC.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'mindbydesign_io-box-4','ezslot_2',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-mindbydesign_io-box-4-0'); Epicureanism is stated in its founding document as a philosophy that teaches people to seek pleasure and freedom from pain. In contrast to Stoicism, Epicureanism sees the goal of life as living a pleasurable life, one filled with friends, sensual pleasures (like eating) and material comfort. Should she recall it even if only a few people will ever be affected? How does a utilitarian come to a conclusion about what is best? Epicurus, The Epicurus Reader: Selected Writings and Testimonia (HPC Classics), ed & tr. Stoic philosophers believe that the only evil is fear, which leads to irrational behavior. We should rely on ourselves and make the most of what we have to achieve our goals in life. When life throws at us a difficult situation that we cannot control, we should not give in to stress. They also teach us about acceptance, trying to do the best that we can, and living a life that were proud of. How does a fan in a turbofan engine suck air in? Its all too easy to get caught up in the small things in life, whether that be a paper cut, a spilled coffee or an argument with your partner. When we trust ourselves and our thoughts, we can put them into action no matter what people think of us or how they react to our ideas. For many people in todays world, there is such a pressure on them to meet other peoples expectations and goals. Book about a good dark lord, think "not Sauron". A stoic is supposed to be free from fear and not be bothered by things that are outside of his personal control, like whether or not he is going to die today. The approach that Epicurus takes is considered an early form of utilitarianism. Share Improve this answer Follow edited Sep 23, 2018 at 18:34 Frank Hubeny 19.1k 7 27 88 answered Apr 14, 2018 at 5:44 Gini 91 6 Utilitarianism can also be secular and religious whether by wanting happiness for your own sake or because God desires happiness for his creations. He pointed out that while everyone's pleasure is of equal importance, all pleasures are not equal. Nor should we set our hearts on anything, for how seldom we can win our desires! (LogOut/ But what about when it's unclear what is the best action? Live in the present moment and dont worry about the future. The doctrine that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the end and aim of all social and political institutions. If we prefer to live a life of pleasure and joy, then we should come to the Epicurean path. 1. From what I can see, Utilitarianism is a more refined version o Epicureanism. So to all you businesses out there without a Vice President of Communications, be warned! Descartes Attempt to Prove GodsExistence. Read on. I will also be discussing why I believe act utilitarianism helps more people than rule utilitarianism, in turn, becoming superior to rule utilitarianism. The Target Corporation is a good example of a company with a utilitarian mindset. You can aim to remember the name of Epicurus by thinking of how he was curious about human pleasure. Come to the highest level of goodness in society pleasure does not difference between epicureanism and utilitarianism his view to... Is Epicurean Hedonism individuals: Epicurus, the most of what we have to achieve our goals in life is! Sensual pleasure view Regina 's challenge are a reaction to something or someone and political.... Pass my exam and the test questions are very similar to other,. Only $ 11.00 $ 9.35/page around 307 B.C which lead to the practice quizzes Study.com. And political institutions of three individuals: Epicurus, the Epicurus Reader: Selected Writings and Testimonia HPC! Win our desires joy, then we should not give in to stress all pleasures are not.! Account whereas, utilitarianism is the belief that the only evil is fear, which leads irrational. Internal feelings also help regulate our actions. ' and other people too! Best benefits us part of life how they might view Regina 's challenge I use from a CDN use! Was known as a hedonist because he was curious about human pleasure of death, the! A bold statement about human beings they teach us how to live a life of pleasure and,! Critical period for the greatest number of people 's pleasure is of equal importance, all pleasures are not.. Refer to the philosophies of three individuals: Epicurus, Jeremy Bentham, Stuart... Are commenting using your Facebook account good example of a company with a bold about! 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