His rational mind led him to believe that the study of ethics could be undertaken in a practical and scientific manner. The British philosopher Jeremy Bentham believed happiness could be defined as pleasure and the absence of pain. Act Utilitarianism (Jeremy Bentham, 1748-1832) Utilitarianism is an incredibly practical and popular ethical position, but it also has some serious flaws. However, utilitarianism has been repeatedly adapted the theory can now be sub-divided into three key areas: ‘Act Utilitarianism’, ‘Rule Utilitarianism’ and ‘Preference Utilitarianism’. The ‘greatest happiness principle’, often associated with the quote, “the greatest happiness for the greatest number”is seen as the key idea of ‘utilitarianism’. Utilitarianism: ‘greatest happiness principle’
