OF THE PRINCIPLE OF UTILITY

from An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, 1780

TASK

a) The utility is any object's property, thanks to it tends to produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good or happiness or it tends to prevent the happening of mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness to the party whose interest is considered: it may be that the part is the community in general, then the happiness of the community or a particular individual, then the happiness of that individual.

b) The utility is based on the principle of utility. It is the principle which approves or disapproves of any action according to the tendency that it seems to have increased or observed the happiness of the party whose interest is in question.

c) Utility can affect policies because an action which is comfortable to the principle of utility has to increase community happiness instead of diminish it; in addition a measure of government is comfortable to the principle of utility when is tendency to increase community happiness is greater than any which it has do diminish it. Therefore utility affects policies because it is based on the interest for the community majority ignoring that sometimes what make happy some people could make feel bad an other person.