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Scientific Ethics
- Bentham's utilitarianism aimed to make ethics scientific, basing it on human psychology and physiology.
- He believed pleasure and pain were real entities, like chemical reactions, driving human behavior.
Subjective Pleasure, Collective Good
- Bentham believed pleasure and pain are subjective, varying between individuals.
- However, the right action maximizes overall societal pleasure, even if it diminishes individual pleasure.
Pushpin vs. Poetry
- Bentham believed any activity generating pleasure is valid, famously stating "pushpin is as good as poetry."
- He considered "good taste" an aristocratic tool for maintaining superiority.