Mill and Bentham's Utilitarianism - A Comparison

 Mill and Bentham's Utilitarianism - A Comparison

JS Mill in his book "Utilitariasm" wrote about utilitarianism in following manner : "The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure. Of two pleasures, if there be one to which all or almost all who have experience of both give a decided preference, irrespective of any feeling of moral obligation to prefer it, that is the more desirable pleasure."

Jeremy Bentham in his book "An Introduction to The Principles of Morals and Legislation" wrote in the following manner : "Nature has placed the mankind under the governance of two sovereigns : pain and pleasure". Utility principle was explained as "that principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever, according to the tendency which it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose interest is in question : or, what is the same thing in other words, to promote or to oppose that happiness."

Mill's theory has the basis contained in a creed which has to accept the foundations and refers to rightness of actions with reference to happiness. Bentham places no emphasis on any creed. Bentham does not refers to actions nor compares it with happiness. His measure of governance is linked with pain and pleasure. The concept of pain is given secondary reference in Mill's concept. 

Bentham's focus and starting point is about governance, though with reference to nature and man, yet its starting point is never the rightness of actions. Both Mill and Bentham have common features. Both of them tend to put a reference point to measure what is desirable and what is not desirable. It is clear that their understanding of happiness and putting it as a metric for calculating outcomes is also somewhat similar. Bentham's theory contains concept of interest with whose reference one has approve or not to approve an action. Mill, on other hand, choses a preferred mode to achieve a comparably "more desired pleasure". 

Both have similarities and some contrasts and both have impacted the scholars of their subject profoundly.