A Thematical Analysis Of Hard Times From The Perspective Of Utilitarian Philosophy

In the 19 th century,utilitarian philosophy prevailed in British society.It claims that utilitarian equals utility.It holds that only the utility of the individual,that is,the satisfaction of the individual's interest,is the basic precondition for all utilities.Utility is the proof of all kinds of virtues.On the one hand,utilitarian philosophy promotes the social improvement of England,and it is in the interest of the British bourgeoisie in the turbulent revolutionary years with an obvious feature of class defensiveness.On the other hand,the core of its reform is based on the affirmation of utilitarian or utility,so it also has its own imitations which bring a series of adverse consequences to the society at that time.As a British critical realism novelist,among his more than 20 long novels,Dickens not only successfully reflects the true appearance of the material world under the domination of utilitarianism,but also profoundly reveals the social problems and moral crisis of that era.His focus and concern on the social problems of industrial cities has never been surpassed.His novel Hard Times has a realistic description of the harsh working conditions in the factories in the industrial towns of Manchester and Princeton,which has a strong era sensation and sense of reality.Based on the text interpretation and from the framework of utilitarian philosophy,this paper conducts an analysis and research on Dickens' novel Hard Times,aiming to reveal the profound significance and contemporary value in this works.The paper is divided into three parts involving Introduction part,Body part and Conclusion part.In the Introduction part,it mainly describes the research status of Hard Times both at home and abroad,as well as the significance and purpose of writing the paper.The Body part of the paper is divided into five chapters:Chapter One firstly explains the origin and development of utilitarian philosophy,and the connotation,progressive significance and limitation of utilitarian philosophy principle.Secondly,it summarizes the embodiment of utilitarian philosophy principles in the works.Chapter Two analyses the theme of Humanity from the perspective of utilitarian philosophy on the basis of interpretation of the text,and it explains the imprisonment and poison of utilitarianism from two aspects of Bondage of Human Mind and Strangulation of Children‘s Nature.Chapter Three analyses the theme of Education from the perspective of utilitarian philosophy involving two aspects of Neglection of Imagination and Destruction of Values pointing out the adverse effects and harms of utilitarianism on the educational system.Chapter Four analyses the theme of Industrialization from the perspective of utilitarian philosophy from two aspects of Ruin of Environment and Deterioration of Employment Relations and expounds the adverse effects and harms of utilitarianism on the process of Industrialization.Chapter Five analyses the theme of Humanitarianism from the perspective of utilitarian philosophy and expounds Dickens' criticism and correction of utilitarianism.The Conclusion part affirms that the paper puts Hard Times within the framework of utilitarian philosophy.From three aspects involving Humanity,Education and Industrialization,it aims to elevate the study of literary works to a philosophical height,which is more conducive to deeply reveal the practical significance and contemporary value of Dickens' works.Due to lack of enough ability to digest and grasp the philosophical theory,the thesis still has some room for supplement,modification and improvement.