Which philosophy is better is up to each individual person to decide. (Dodds, Lecture 2) Kantian moral theory and Utilitarianism are two theories that attempt to answer the ethical nature of human beings. The term Stoic comes from the stoa, or porch, where students of Stoicism used to gather. Thus Epicurus says in 'On the Goal (Telos)' : For I at least do not even know what I should conceive the good life to be, if I eliminate the pleasures of taste, and eliminate the pleasures of sexm and eliminate the pleasures of listening, and eliminate the pleasant motions caused in our vision by a visible form. However Utilitarianism answers questions Epicureanism can't. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you So a stoic will study what they can control, and then focus on what happens in their life. 3. A stoic is supposed to be free from fear and not be bothered by things that are outside of his personal control, like whether or not he is going to die today. We think people sabotage themselves in life, so, Read More 13 Reasons Why Life Is PreciousContinue, Successful leaders usually have some qualities that they can rely on to get themselves through challenging situations. He says that pleasure can be described as the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the soul. Many people have lost sight of the fact that they are living a life of their own, free from outside influences and expectations. Thats because its hard to find reasons when youre part of a world thats full of war, famine, and hatred. Stoicism makes you feel like youre dependent on yourself and others. Ataraxia and aponia, pleasures of rest, as we may call them, are katastematic pleasures. Which of these two philosophies a CEO or CFO leans toward can drastically affect an organizations reputation. They have been widely debated by philosophers and social reformers. (LogOut/ Ancient Greek Philosophies: Ancient Greece was a critical period for the development of Western civilization in a myriad of ways. For example, Utilitarianism makes more a distinction between higher pleasures and lower pleasures. In the case of Enron, Kenneth Lay and other C-suite executives used loopholes in their accounting system to embezzle millions of dollars. Your desk chair, your pencil holder, your favorite coffee mug? Ethical Egoism vs. There is a tension in Epicurus' ethics. Are you ultimately alone in the world, or does a divine being listen to your prayers and wishes? Utilitarianism (also called consequentialism) is a moral theory developed and refined in the modern world in the writings of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? ), 'Ataraxia is untroubledness/ tranquillity. Utilitarianism can also be secular and religious whether by wanting happiness for your own sake or because God desires happiness for his creations. (philosophy) A system of ethics based on the premise that something's value may be measured by its usefulness. (The Epicurus Reader, 78.). 129 lessons On the other hand, Stoicism relates to hardship, going without, and long-suffering. It is important to understand what these theories are because of their influential tendencies in the way people act, especially in making morally right or wrong decisions. For example, there appears to be a vital difference between virtue ethics and the modern moralities of deontological ethics (Kantianism) and consequentialism (utilitarianism). We should not be so afraid of the uncertainty that we become illogical in our thinking and this prevents us from doing things that are helpful for us. and developed by Chrysippus of Soli (c. 280 - 206 b.c.e.). He kicks off his text by writing, 'Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. Many people are under the false impression that there is more to life than what is right in front of them. Two different forms of utilitarianism are described in our text. In today 's society, we face many obstacles in our attempt to achieve the feeling of happiness. As stoics, we accept that we can never really know what the future is going to bring. Hedonic happiness is achieved through experiences of pleasure and enjoyment, while eudaimonic happiness is achieved through experiences of meaning and purpose. Utilitarian is driven by the pursuit of happiness. Can non-Muslims ride the Haramain high-speed train in Saudi Arabia? In this lesson, we'll look at the ethical approach taken by utilitarian thinkers and how they might view Regina's challenge. Epicureanism gets its name from Epicurus (341 - 270 b.c.e. Rather than maximizing pleasure, we are better off minimizing pain. (Dionenes Laertius, 'Epicurus', 136 : see Reference. Manage Settings It highlights the principle of utility in seeking the greatest pleasure, allowing egotistic and hedonistic actions to be considered moral. PTIJ Should we be afraid of Artificial Intelligence? That is to say maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain. - Definition & Theory, Utilitarian Organization: Definition & Overview, The Act and Rule Utilitarian Models in Business Ethics, Philosophy Paper Topics on Utilitarianism, Conducting Utilitarian Analysis: Definition, Approach & Application, Mickey Mantle Lesson for Kids: Biography & Facts, Michael Jordan Lesson for Kids: Biography & Facts, Jim Thorpe Lesson for Kids: Biography & Facts, Billie Jean King Biography: Lesson for Kids, Queen Victoria Lesson for Kids: Biography & Facts, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community, Recall the definitions of hedonist and utilitarianism, Recite and compare the beliefs of Epicurus, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill in regards to utilitarianism. Act utilitarianism is interested only in an action's impact when judging if that . Stoic philosophers recommend then, trying to be indifferent to all non-essential elements in life, including pain. Every day we can choose to be an Epicurean or a Stoic, taking what we find useful from both philosophies. Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related. Defining Psychological Egoism vs Ethical Egoism. The consequentialist principle explains that in determining the rightness or wrongness of an act one must examine the results that will follow. The headline answer is that Epicureanism is neither egoism nor utilitarianism and no closer to one than to the other. A key difference between Mill and Bentham on one hand, and Epicurus on the other, is that Epicurus believed that a good, pleasurable life should be withdrawn from politics. For the Stoics, virtue was the foundational concept for their way of life. You are disparaging Epicurus who was a very wise and gentle philosopher. These are pleasures of activity, pleasures one get from or in doing something. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply.See Wiktionary Terms of Use for details. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory which acts as a guideline on how people should act in certain situations and was first introduced by a hedonist (pursuer of pleasure) named Jeremy Bentham who put forward the Principle of Utility which said The greatest happiness for the greatest number. n.The ethical theory proposed by Jeremy Bentham and James Mill that all action should be directed toward achieving the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. It does seem fairly clear, however, that 'maximisation' of pleasure does not capture his view. What's wrong with my argument? Before we know why we should do good, we first have to determine what the good is. In this lesson, we looked at the utilitarian ideas of three philosophers: Epicurus, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Utilitarianism is seen as morally demanding, as it requires increased moral choices. Utilitarianism noun (philosophy) The theory that action should be directed toward achieving the "greatest happiness for the greatest number of people" (hedonistic universalism), or one of various related theories. Consequentialism Summary & Theories | What is Consequentialism? What is utilitarianism? 2. Why is perseverance important in leadership? Utilitarianism and epicureanism are both subcategories of a type of moral theory called consequentialism. Utilitarianism is the most common form of consequentialism, which is the theory that an act is morally right or wrong depending on the consequences it produces. This website helped me pass! The Epicurean will live an easy life with lots of free time while the stoic is usually busy achieving virtue. Epicureanism suggests leading a simplistic life with friends while the Stoic perspective is accepting life as it comes. the lack of pain in the body and disturbance in the soul. Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who founded the Epicurean school of thought. In fact, Epicureans believe that its better to be trapped in a cave and not know whether snow or rain is falling outside than to have knowledge of the heavens above. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Though birthed from the same. They also teach us about acceptance, trying to do the best that we can, and living a life that were proud of. Using Bentham's approach, Regina would weigh the needs of her employees versus the concern for very few customers. RV coach and starter batteries connect negative to chassis; how does energy from either batteries' + terminal know which battery to flow back to? Likewise, an action is morally wrong where it fails to maximise good. Furthermore, theory is in opposition to egoism, the view that a person should pursue his own self-interest, even at the expense of others, and to any ethical theory that regards some acts or types of acts (Duignan, 2015). The laws where her business is located might dictate that she must order a recall or face penalties since her faulty tables could cause harm. Are physical pleasures fleeting, while mental pleasures last forever? Utilitarianism is a practical doctrine that is widely accepted in modern societys economics, politic, and ethics. The stoics say that if we allow ourselves to react emotionally and negatively to every single situation in life, we are less likely to be successful in life. Are things in this world just as they are, or are things here because of a higher. Epicureanism, in a strict sense, the philosophy taught by Epicurus (341-270 bce ). The most famous version of this theory is utilitarianism. Stoics believe that we must focus on the things that are under our control, and not worry about external forces. First, explain how Epicureanism and Stoicism are similar to Aristotelian ethics. we say that pleasure is the goal [telos] we do not mean the pleasures of the profligate or the pleasures of consumption but rather Both philosophies teach that there is no true evil. What are the differences between Plato and Aristotle's views? Before we can determine which philosophy is better, we should first ask, what is it that makes a philosophy good or bad? ), who founded his philosophical school (The Garden) in 306 b.c.e. Where can I find material on Epicureanism? Epicureans mistakenly interpret this as the pursuit of sensual pleasures. This theory can be further narrowed to more specific subcategories; utilitarianism and epicureanism. Published by Hackett Publishing Co, Inc, 1994. More at Wordnik hedonism While Bentham might argue that enjoying an ice cream cone is the same pleasure as a conversation with a loved one, Mill saw variations in the importance of one pleasure over another. 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