Aspects of the Discourse on Women in Late 18th Century Britain: Utilitarian Feminism.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K01570
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 07020:Economic doctrines and economic thought-related
• Research Institution: Senshu University (2021-2022); Ochanomizu University (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: ITAI Hiroaki 専修大学, 経済学部, 准教授 (60405032)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ベンサム / 功利主義 / フェミニズム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined how the perspective of gendered reproduction was incorporated into the economic society envisioned by Bentham's utilitarianism, focusing on Bentham's discussions about the proper relationships between couples, among other things, from the viewpoint of reproduction in both economics and procreation. Bentham's utilitarianism advocates for the equal granting of rights to both sexes, the reform of social power relations that oppress women, and a time-limited marriage system to maximize each individual's happiness. This is because discriminatory treatment based on collective attributes such as gender contradicts the maximization of societal happiness. The study particularly emphasized the importance of improving the conditions of women, who constitute half of humanity.

Free Research Field

社会経済思想史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

研究成果の学術的意義としては、往々にして多数者ルールを採用して少数者を抑圧する思想と捉えられる功利主義が、女性という、数では半数であるものの社会的に劣位に置かれてきた人々への権利擁護を真剣に考えていたということは功利主義イメージに変更を迫る意義があると思われる。また社会的意義については、昨今の同性婚や夫婦別姓の是非について、人々の幸福最大化という功利主義的観点から見た場合、期限付きの婚姻制度をはじめとして、諸個人の自由に任せるべき領域として、それら私的領域の決定を考えるということは意義があることと思われる。