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VOL. 10, ISSUE 2 (2024)
The flaws and failures of utilitarian facts and principles in Charles Dickens’s Hard Times
Authors
Akhlaque
Abstract
Dickens criticized those who followed utilitarianism in many of his
works. In Hard Times, he presented a detailed satire, starting the story in a
classroom with a chapter called "Murdering the Innocents." This
allowed him to address not just economic ideas but also the psychological and
educational beliefs behind utilitarianism. Through his characters, Dickens
shares his thoughts on two main issues: first, how the educational system
focuses too much on cold, hard Facts, cutting off imagination; and second, how
machines dehumanize and degrade people. He highlights the problems of labourer
and management mainly through the characters Stephen and Bounderby. Given the
changes brought by the Industrial Revolution, Dickens believed, as Sleary says,
that people should make the best of life, not the worst. Bentham was one of
several English thinkers who tried to explain human nature and experiences. The
idea of "the greatest happiness for the greatest number" was
supported by borrowed ideas about the human mind. Because of this, utilitarians
often ignored important concepts like conscience, love, and morality, viewing
them as unnecessary. This can simplify complex ideas but can also lead to a dangerous
blind spot. In Hard Times, the utilitarian philosophy negatively affects all
the characters. Louisa’s marriage fails, Tom turns to gambling and theft,
Bitzer lacks feelings and is cruel to his mother, and the factory workers
suffer. Bounderby and Gradgrind also face failure because their strict
adherence to facts and utilitarian beliefs leads to disaster. There are many
real-life people like Bounderby and Gradgrind who harm future generations.
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Pages:12-15
How to cite this article:
Akhlaque "The flaws and failures of utilitarian facts and principles in Charles Dickens’s Hard Times". International Journal of English Research, Vol 10, Issue 2, 2024, Pages 12-15
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