Comparison between Bentham and Kant

• Teleological vs deontological


  Bentham - teleological

  Kant - deontological
• Morality


  Bentham - morality makes the majority happy

  Kant - morality is more than personal pleasure
• People

  Bentham - not concerned with how you get to the outcome. This can mean using people as a means to an ends

  Kant - never use people as an ends is part of the categorical imperative
• Subjective vs objective


  Bentham - subjective, a posteriori

  Kant - objective, a priori
• Universal or situational

  Bentham - act utilitarianism

  Kant - universal law
• Relative vs absolute


  Bentham - relative

  Kant - absolute
• Good vs right


  Bentham - good

  Kant - right
• A01 comparison

  1. Teleological vs deontological

  2. Majority happy vs duty

  3. A posteriori vs a priori

  4. Act utilitarianism vs universal law
• A02 (Bentham 1st argument, Kant arrow)

  1. Focuses on what makes the majority happy, hedonic calculus —> this uses people as a means to an ends. Everyone is equal

  2. A posteriori, based on personal pleasure and experience —> moral statements are a priori synthetic. Uses knowledge and experience. We have a duty to act in a way that benefits society not ourselves

  3. Act utilitarianism assesses each individual act —> universal law; it is not possible to have individual rules for everyone or society would not operate