Jevons’s Debt to Bentham: Mathematical Economy, Morals and Psychology
Year: 2002
Type: article
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to show that Jevons’s utilitarianism is to be related to his attempt to build a mathematical theory of economics: the ‘felicific calculus’ provides the instrument for transforming sensations into quantities. The first section shows that Jevons referred to Bentham’s calculus but made it much simpler to enable the mathematical instrument to be introduced. The second section is devoted to his rejection of Mill’s attempt to make utilitarianism a morally reasonable philosophy by introducing qualities of feelings. But I endeavour to show that avoiding Mill’s interpretation did not mean that Jevons gave up on moral matters.
Source: Manchester School
Author: Nathalie Sigot
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2154641856