Transition from Classical to Neoclassical Utilitarianism

Introduction

• Classical Utilitarianism - Jeremy Bentham's doctrine.
• Neoclassical Utilitarianism - Late 19th, early 20th century.
• Key Figure - John Stuart Mill.
• Rights-Utility Synthesis - Combining utilitarian efficiency and individual rights.

Developments Across Disciplines

• Political theory, economics, and philosophy saw parallel transitions.
• Economics Evolution
  • Vilfredo Pareto - Central figure in developing neoclassical economics.
  • Other contributors - Marshall, Edgeworth.
  • Impact on understanding markets, legitimacy, and distributive justice.
• Moral Philosophy
  • Emotivism and Stevenson - Ethical claims as expressions of emotions.
  • Historical Context: Hobbes criticized Aristotle; Hume and Bentham had similar utilitarian views emphasizing shared human psychological structures.

Emotivism and Relativism

• Stevenson's emotivist doctrine:
  • Ethical statements express emotional reactions.
  • Radically questioned whether people have the same utility functions.
  • Seen as moral relativism.

Neoclassical Economics Explained

• Core Concepts
  • Indifference Curves: Trade-offs between goods like wine and bread.
  • Diminishing Marginal Utility: More of a good, less additional utility it provides.
  • Ordinal Utility: Rank ordering preferences without precise measurement.
• Pareto’s Principle
  • Pareto Superior: Move towards situations improving utility for at least one without harming others.
  • Pareto Inferior: Moves that make all worse off.
  • Pareto Optimal: No change can improve one's utility without reducing another's.
  • Implications: No interpersonal utility comparisons.
• Edgeworth Box Diagram
  • Visualization of trade-offs between two individuals' utilities.
  • Contract Curve/Pareto Frontier: Where no further beneficial trades can be made.
• Application to Redistribution
  • Pareto says no scientific basis for some redistributive moves.
  • Bentham’s principle allows redistribution for increasing overall utility.

Comparative Analysis

• Classical Utilitarianism (Bentham)
  • Measures utility, supports redistributive politics.
  • Vulnerable to critique—ignores individual differences.
• Neoclassical Utilitarianism (Pareto)
  • Cannot scientifically justify redistributions, respects individual utility variations.
  • Pro-market status quo friendly, less radical than classical.
  • Fetishizes differences among people, e.g., disabled person not contributing utility.

Conclusions

• Shift from classical to neoclassical represents a move from radical redistribution to status quo maintenance.
• Prepares the ground for studying John Stuart Mill’s harm principle in political theory.