Utilitarianism
In this blog I am discussing one the major themes of Charles Dickens’s novel Hard times: for these times- Utilitarianism. I hope this will be useful for you.
What is Utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism is a theory of morality that advocates actions that foster happiness or pleasure and oppose actions that cause unhappiness or harm. When directed toward making social, economic, or political decisions, a utilitarian philosophy would aim for the betterment of society as a whole.
Despite its popularity in early utilitarian thought, the theory of utilitarianism has since been supplanted by other similar philosophies and moral systems. At its origins, however, Jeremy Bentham and a group of like-minded thinkers (Immanuel Kant being another example) sought to highlight the importance of the happiness principle and utilitarian consequences. They believed that all human actions are motivated by an innate desire for pleasure or happiness and that morality consists mainly of individual happiness.
"Utilitarian means based on the idea that the morally correct course of action is the one that produces benefit for the greatest number of people." -Collins dictionary
"The system of thought that states that the best action or decision in a particular situation is the one that brings most advantages to the most people." -Cambridge dictionary
Understanding utilitarianism in simple words- when a person is deciding something for oneself then he thinks of his personal utility and when he thinks of other benefits also that is utilitarian view. For e.g.: When we go to buy an ice- cream we select our favorite flavor for everyone but when we think of everyone and select one common flavor compromising our favorite flavor is utilitarian.
Utilitarianism means an action encourages happiness and anti- utilitarianism if it encourages sadness or opposite to happiness. It doesn't connect only with the happiness of an individual but with all those who are around him or connected to him. Its center is perhaps whether the actions are morally right or wrong depending on its effects. Utilitarianism also has trouble accounting for values like justice and individual rights. For example, say a hospital has four people whose lives depend upon receiving organ transplants: a heart, lungs, a kidney, and a liver. If a healthy person wanders into the hospital, his organs could be harvested to save four lives at the expense of his one life. This would arguably produce the greatest good for the greatest number. But few would consider it an acceptable course of action, let alone an ethical one.
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory which was firstly proposed by Jeremy Bentham and later it was modified by his own follower John Mill. They both were 18th and 19th century British philosophers, economists and political thinkers. Mill felt that Bentham Bentham only considered quantity of pleasure and so he disagreed with his work. He himself explained the importance of qualitative pleasure and considered both quality and quantity of pleasure. Mill's hedonism was influenced by perfectionist intuitions. There are some pleasures like intellectual pleasure which are more higher and satisfactory than basic regular pleasures.
Utilitarianism in Hard times-
Utilitarianism is a doctrine which Dickens attacked specifically in the novel Hard- times (1854). Inculcating the principle of "The greatest good for the greatest number," Dickens objected to this philosophy of expediency because he believed that it crushed upon the rights and feelings of the individual and seemed fundamentally opposed in spirit to "fancy" and works of the imagination.
As we saw the definition of utilitarianism- an action which gives happiness or is good for a major part of people. As there is no action/ deed/ or word which will give happiness to everyone. The small area or group of people will always be unhappy with action or decision. Here Dickens is opposing the idea of Utilitarianism. If we talk of the overall novel Dickens has presented every symbol or character in an excessive hyperbolical way. And with the same ideology Dickens is stating here also. Dickens is opposing excessive utilitarianism. That is when we start an action we are thinking for everyone’s needs, pleasure and happiness, slowly and steadily our circle of everyone becomes smaller and we start getting self centered. Dickens is opposing this situation that when one will start thinking only about oneself it will cause a negative impact.
This utilitarian view of life was epitomized in "Hard Times" by Gradgrind and Bounderby, two men who were so preoccupied with facts and figures that they seemed to be able neither to appreciate the spirit nor to venture a judgement based on anything other than profit or loss. They were single-minded men, seeking nothing but their own material prosperity and willing to trample everything else underfoot. Dickens regarded them as cold-blooded calculators totally lacking in moral sensitivity or imagination. We saw in the novel that everything is judged based on its need and advantage. Here in the novel Dicken has satirized utilitarian logic in three different situations.
Mr. Thomas Gradgrind, he is one of the main characters of the novel. He owns a school in Coketown which only focuses on facts and figures. He himself has led life on the same principles and incorporated the same ideology in the school system. He believed that the thing which is not at all useful in time doesn't deserve any time from one valuable life. One should learn which is advantageous to them. They did not consider, however, the children’s need for fiction, poetry, and other fine arts that are used to expand children’s minds, all of which are essential today in order to produce well-rounded human beings through the educational process.
Even he believed that flowers are meant to be in plants not in the room, so one should not use flower carpet they are no meant to walk on it.
“...You must discard the word Fancy altogether. You have nothing to do with it. You are not to have, in any object of use or ornament, what would be a contradiction in fact. You don’t walk upon flowers in fact; you cannot be allowed to walk upon flowers in carpets.”
He strongly believed that one should do actions which result in something advantageous and all other fanciful things are of no use. These children were never given the opportunity to think for themselves, experience fun things in life, or even use their imaginations. True, they are smart people in the factual sense but do not have the street smarts to survive.
Mr. Bounderby, he had a same ideology on fact and figure like Mr. Gradgrind. He owned a bank and a factory in Coketown. For him nothing was more important than profit. He had many workers working under him but he never respected them at all. He often refers workers to be ‘hands’ because that is all they are for him, hands to work which fills his pockets. Once his worker Stephen Blackpool came to him for help in his bad marriage. He asked Bounderby to help him to get divorce from his wife but he refused him saying that it is not his cup of tea, only wealthy people can take divorces as it is costly. This suggested that he was not kind or humble towards anyone. He would have helped Stephen if their divorce would have brought any advantage to him on personal or professional terms but as it was not he refused him. This was definitely unfair but the social classes were structured in a way that allowed those who had money to look down upon those who were less fortunate. Generally, those who were not well-educated did not have any money, while the well-educated ones such as Bounderby and Gradgrind were wealthy. The people who knew the factual information, (utilitarian) were successful, while those who did not were reduced to working in the factories of the utilitarian.
Mr. Bounderby was a friend of Mr. Gradgrind, he gave a proposal of his marriage with Gradgrind’s daughter Louisa. She even agrees to marry him as she was trained to think in a factual way, she was molded to see advantages. Thinking that it will give happiness to her father and secure her brother’s job in the bank she married a man of his father’s age. With time she fell in love with Mr. Harthouse. She started getting confused, she was never taught by anyone to think for herself, for happiness. She was torn apart by these two feelings and ended up fainting in front of his father. This was the first time when Mr. Gradgrind realized that his education failed.
We also see utilitarianism in Mr. Gradgrind when his son Tom was caught for robbing the Bank. At that time Gradgrind was trying to hide and was sending Tom with circus people away from Coketown so that he would not be caught. This seems to be his personal advantage that his son should not face any type of difficulties, he wanted to safeguard his son. At the same time Bitzer, a scholar of Gradgrind’s school, arrives and stops Gradgrind from doing this act. Here Gradgrind again fails in front of his own Education system, Bitzer very precisely adapted all lessons of the school and was following the same, looking at facts, moving at the path of virtues. But Gradgrind lost his own ideals.
Sissy Jupe, she was a representative of circus people. She was of free- will, humble and helpful. She was able to survive in every condition of life, just her presence gave happiness all around. It was the result of her own fanciful life. Facts are important in life but fanciness works as a torch in difficult times of life. One actually sees the main character of the book and firm supporter of utilitarianism, Mr. Thomas Gradgrind, experiences the faults of his practice and begins to stray from it.
These are some examples of utilitarianism of the Victorian era, in the Novel which are opposed by Dickens. It is true that Dickens has over-exemplified the situations but if we look from a particular point of view these situations are present even today in our society. People always look for their own benefit first before helping others. Even in today's marriages people compare wealth. Girls are judged on their beauty and boys on their financial status. This all turns out to be an example of facts and figures and emotional attachment and feelings are given second priority.
I hope this blog is helpful to you. Any queries please drop a comment. Thanks for visiting.
[words:1720]
No comments:
Post a Comment