Hard Times vs. Utilitarianism

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Hard Times vs. Utilitarianism
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Utilitarianism Defined

• The belief that an action is right if it tends
  to produce happiness and wrong if it tends to
  produce the opposite of happiness- not just the
  happiness of the performer of the action but also
  that of everyone affected by it.

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Jeremy Bentham Father of Utilitarianism

• Originator of The Greatest Happiness Principal.
• Believed one should always act out of self
  interest even at the expense of others.

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John Stuart Mill

• Followed in Benthams footsteps taking
  utilitarianism a step further.
• defines happiness as both intellectual and
  sensual, but we as humans choose intellectual
  pleasures over sensual.

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Mechanization of Britain

• The industrial revolution had drastic effects on
  Britain. Industry took over towns while working
  and living conditions plummeted.

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The industrial revolution and Utilitarianism

• Those that benefited financially from the
  industrial revolution (the middle class factory
  owners) loved the utilitarian ideology.
• The utilitarian upper class thought It was
  alright if the lower class was suffering as long
  as they were gaining profit. The pursuit of
  individual happiness created greed and
  selfishness.

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The characters of hard times, utilitarianism and
Social Class

• All of the utilitarian characters in hard times
  are all members of the upper class(Bounderby,
  Gradgrind etc.) They are greedy and self absorbed
  and end up broken by the philosophy they have
  followed.
• The non-utilitarian characters are all memebers
  of the working class (Sissy Jupe, Blackpool,
  sleary etc.) they maintain their kindness and
  turn out to be the most genuine characters in the
  book.