Question

According to Bentham, legislators should ask this question when developing policies: If we add up all of the benefits of this policy, and subtract all the costs, will it produce more happiness than the alternative?

a.true
b.false

Answer 1

Yes, Bentham's utilitarian principles advocate for legislators to consider if a policy will produce more happiness than alternatives, aligning with the concept of cost-benefit analysis to maximize utility. The correct option is a.true

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Bentham, legislators should indeed ask whether a policy will produce more happiness than the alternative.

This reflects Bentham's utilitarian principles, which posit that policies should be judged by their ability to generate the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Bentham's philosophy is closely related to cost-benefit analysis in public policy, where the benefits and costs are tallied to evaluate the utility of a policy, aiming to maximize net happiness.

However, Libertarianism challenges this view by emphasizing individual rights over the maximization of net social utility.

Additionally, the measurement of happiness presents complexities, as highlighted in the example of Kenya's national park, showing that quantifying happiness and assessing policy outcomes is not always straightforward. The correct option is a.true