The Utilitarians
Welfare economics developed as a distinct branch of economics
slowly through the 19th century.
Bentham — utility explained behavior and provided
as a standard for morality. Pleasure and pain – utility
– are commensense concepts, hence measurable. Practical
application of utility measurement leads to maximizing the greatest
good for the greatest number.
Bentham and Mill took utility to be a practical
concept that could be observed and measured by a properly qualified
class of people.
Jevons — Utility provides an explanation of
behavior, but is not interpersonably comparable. His practical welfare
economics was not particulary utilitarian.
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