ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER & JEREMY BENTHAM

Group 3 BSMDT 1A

Arthur Schopenhauer

PHILOSOPHER OF PESSIMISM

German philosopher, who is known for his philosophy of pessimism. Born in Danzig, Poland on February 22, 1788 Schopenhauer was educated at the universities of Gttingen, Berlin, and Jena

most famous for his work The World as Will and Representation (1819). Schopenhauer died peacefully on September 21, 1860, in his apartment in Frankfurt

PHILOSOPHY OF PESSIMISM

What is Pessimism?
Pessimism, doctrine that reality, life, and the world are evil rather than good. In the 19th century, pessimism was elaborated into a system of philosophy by the German philosophers Arthur Schopenhauer and his successor Eduard von Hartmann. Each saw life in this world as rooted in misery, pain, and endless struggle. An unqualified pessimism encompasses the idea that all the ends and aims of life are illusory.

Philosophy of Pessimism
German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer developed a philosophy of pessimism that focused on the nature of the will, a term Schopenhauer used to mean both a persons individual desires as well as the overall essence of being alive. His pessimism derives in part from his study of Buddhism, which teaches that life is suffering.

The World as Will and Idea

German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer considered the will as the basic reality and the source of human unhappiness Only through reason and resignation can human beings overcome the strivings and desires of the will and achieve happiness.

Other Infos:

Schopenhauer disagreed with the school of idealism. In opposition to philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegels belief in the power of human progress and reason, Schopenhauer argues that unconscious will holds the true power over man and nature.

the will inevitably leads a person to pain, suffering, and death and into an endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and the activity of the will can only be brought to an end through an attitude of resignation, in which the reason governs the will to the extent that striving ceases.

Jeremy Bentham

British philosopher, economist, and jurist, who founded the doctrine of utilitarianism. He was born in London on February 15, 1748. A prodigy, he was reading serious treatises at the age of three, playing the violin at age five, and studying Latin and French at age six.

He entered the University of Oxford at 12, studied law, and was admitted to the bar.
In 1789 he became well known for his Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation.

Utilitarianism

Came from the Latin word utilis which means useful In ethics, the doctrine that what is useful is good, and consequently, that the ethical value of conduct is determined by the utility of its results. The utilitarian principles of Bentham and others who shared his beliefs, including British philosopher-economists James Mill (1773-1836) and his son, John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), helped to bring about social

Benthams Utilitarianism

British philosopher and jurist Jeremy Bentham founds the modern philosophy of utilitarianism when he publishes Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation in 1789
He declared that in order to come into accord with the laws of nature, government and citizens should act to increase the overall happiness of the community.

His principle of utility regards "good" as that which produces the greatest amount of pleasure and the minimum amount of pain and "evil" as that which produces the most pain without the pleasure. This concept of pleasure and pain is defined by Bentham as physical as well as spiritual.

Other Philosophies of Bentham

Happiness, according to Bentham, is thus a matter of experiencing pleasure and lack of pain. the achievement of the greatest amount of happiness is the goal of morality He claimed that all punishment required justification, because he believed that all punishment is inherently evil

He believed that the greatest happiness for the greatest number is the basis of morality. Bentham believed that pain and pleasure not only explain our actions but also help us define what is good and moral. He believed that this foundation could provide a basis for social, legal, and moral reform in society.