哈奇森、休谟、边沁与哲学功利主义的兴起

休谟在哈奇森道德感理论的基础上进一步发展了情感主义的道德观点:道德的基础在于"情感",而道德判定的标准在于行为和品格所引起的"愉悦性"和"效用性"。这一观点为后来以边沁为代表的哲学功利主义的兴起提供了直接性的理论基础和理论框架,休谟也因此在这一过程中起到了极为重要的过渡意义。但不同于功利主义者在目的—效用意义上对"功利"概念的运用,休谟的"效用"概念仅限于手段意义。休谟促成了哲学功利主义的兴起,但他并未成为一个功利主义者。

Hutcheson,Hume,Bentham and The Rise of Philosophical Utilitarianism

Hume further developed the emotivism moral values on the basis of the theory of Hutcheson’ moral sense.He located the moral judgments on the basis of emotion,and the criteria of morality on pleasure and utility brought about from acts and characters.Hume plays an important role as a pioneer since he paves the way for Bentham’s philosophical utilitarianism with its foundation and structure.Nevertheless,he differs from utilitarianisms in the view of utility on its purpose—utility sense,for he puts this notion within the limit of instrument,and thus stays away from the latter,albeit he facilitates the philosophical utilitarianism.