Pros And Cons Of Utilitarianism

284 Words2 Pages
With state-sanctioned punishment being supported by the belief that it is beneficial to the populace as a whole, utilitarians and retributivists alike agree that there is necessity. Though, beyond this point, the two philosophical views seem to split not when determining not the need, but rather the parameters, of coercive force. To a utilitarian, punishment is warranted as necessary based on the consequences of the punishment - that it will provide future benefits to the individual or maximize the happiness of a community. As a utilitarian, Jeremy Bentham justifies the normative grounds for legal punishment through these consequences. Utilitarianism, in this sense, is known as a consequentialist theory in that it concerns itself primarily