Who Is John Stuart Mill Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism defined, is the contention that a man should judge everything based on the ability to promote the greatest individual happiness. In other words Utilitarianism states that good is what brings the most happiness to the most people. John Stuart Mill based his utilitarian principle on the decisions that we make. He says the decisions should always benefit the most people as much as possible no matter what the consequences might be. Mill says that we should weigh the outcomes and make our decisions based on the outcome that benefits the majority of the people. This leads to him stating that pleasure is the only desirable consequence of our decision or actions. Mill believes that human

In addition, Kupperman evaluates the value of pleasure through the Buddhist Argument as well as Csikszentmihalyi’s “flow” argument. Although it may seem that since we want more pleasure in life, that value of pleasure may depend on how much

Pleasure is described as a person’s emotion, passion, or spirit. Ross describes this scenario: one world is enjoying more because their circumstances are better. While the bad world is experiencing pain because their circumstances are going against them. Ross believes pleasure is intrinsically good because it leads to a better world, but not when pleasure doesn’t correspond with virtue. For instance, a person who takes pleasure at another person’s expense is not

In fact, however, the pleasures differ quite a lot, in human beings at any rate. For some things delight some people, and cause pain to others; and while some find them painful and hateful, others find them pleasant and lovable…But in all such cases it seems that what is really so is what appears so to the excellent person. If this is right, as it seems to be, and virtue, i.e., the good person insofar as he is good, is the measure of each thing, then what appear pleasures to him will also really be pleasures…and if what he finds objectionable appears pleasant to someone, that is not at all surprising: for human beings suffer many sorts of corruption and damage. It is not pleasant, however, except to those people in these conditions.

The role of pleasure in morality has been examined thoroughly throughout the beginning of philosophy and continues to be a questionable issue. With these in-depth examinations, some similar outlooks as well as differing views have been recorded. Many philosophers have dissected this important topic, however I intend to concentrate of the famous works of Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill. After meticulously analyzing each of the above philosophers’ texts, I personally prefer the position of utilitarian and Benthamite, John Stuart Mill. After comparing and contrasting the positions and reasonings of these philosophers, I will demonstrate my own reasons why I have chosen John Stuart Mill as the most established in his theory of the role of pleasure in morality.

It can also be defined as a “certain indefinable characteristic of physical sensation” (p 434). You may also receive Pleasure2 from satisfaction of something such as “knowledge, religious experience, and aesthetic expression” (p 433). Pleasure2 refers to “the feeling of satisfaction that often comes when one gets what one desires” (p 434).

Having stated, all the views of other philosophers, Aristotle tries to attack against those who say that pleasure is wholly negative. In his opinion, there are many types of pleasures and some come from doing good deeds while others come from base sources, e.g. the pleasure of helping a handicapped person wouldn’t be considered bad. According to Aristotle, humans are above the animals and plants because humans have the power to reason, therefore they can live actively in accordance with the virtues. One cannot get the pleasure of the just man without being just (1173b, 29-31). Again, they are depended upon the situation and the agent, e.g. a person with a sick mind would find disgraceful pleasures pleasant and a normal person would find them unpleasant. What is good for one person and bad for another. One might enjoy drinking too much liquor and the diabetic person eating sugary things. These are just temporary pleasures, but have a negative effect on the body. There are many things we should do, even if they don’t bring any pleasure, e.g. seeing and remembering. Therefore pleasure is not good nor it’s

Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who established a school focused on a life of simplicity and moderation. His philosophy centered on what he deemed the great good which was pleasure. Plato, another Greek philosopher was the best-known follower of Socrates. Plato was the man that transcribed the teachings of Socrates and continued to use Socrates as a character in his philosophies through dialogues similar to how we had seen him before his death. In Plato’s Republic he has Socrates say, “those who make pleasure their good are in … perplexity; for they are compelled to admit that there are bad pleasures as well as good.” (Cpk 119 top) While in the Letter to Menoeceus Epicurus says, “Pleasure, we declare, is the beginning and the end of the happy life. We are endowed by nature to recognize pleasure as the greatest good.” (Cpk 140 middle) In this paper I will discuss why Epicurus thinks that pleasure is the greatest good, why Plato dissents, and finally argue what I believe to be the most reasonable answer.

John Stuart Mill, in his Utilitarianism, turns morality into a practical problem. His moral theory is designed to help one evaluate his moral principles and senisibilites and be able to ajudicate conflictions in moral conflicts. Mill postulates that actions are right so far as they tend to promote happiness and minimize pain. This theory manifests itself as an impartial promotion of happiness. Morally "right" actions are ones which promote the greatest happiness for the greatest number number of people and reduce pain. Utilitarian moral theories need to be coupled with theories of well-being, so that we can point to what is being maximized through the moral theory's operation. Mill's moral theory is

Mental pleasures are intrinsically superior to physical pleasures, as well as circumstantially. The evidence Mill appeals to in support of his claim that there are different kinds of pleasures and that some are superior to others is the experience of mankind. Those who are acquainted with both sorts of pleasures do prefer the higher pleasures. (P.10)

Nozick briefly discusses the nature of pleasure, as it is clearly an important element of happiness. There are pleasures of the body and mind, as well as pleasures of the emotion. They are all valued for their felt quality that what they have in common That is what a pleasure is, and is different from something like Equality, which is not valued for good feelings , but pleasure is something valued for its felt qualities.

Aristotle is right in rejecting the life of pleasure because the ultimate goal in the life of humans is happiness. The pursuit of pleasure can interfere with nobility and virtue. Aristotle considers the feeling of happiness as an activity rather than a state and therefore for a person to live well as happily, he/she needs to possess the right virtues to lean towards a specific disposition or a specific way of life. As well, Aristotle is right to reject the pleasure as the highest good (Annas 366). This is because while pleasure is without any doubt good, it cannot be regarded as the highest good and therefore not the only good. Various examples can be drawn from the world to indicate that pleasure is not the highest good. For instance, more

Mill’s did not agree with all differences among pleasures can be measured. In the Mill’s view point, some kinds of pleasure qualified by human beings also differ from each other in qualitative ways, and for those who have experienced pleasure of both types are experienced judges of their relative quality. For this reason in order to establishes the moral worth of promoting higher pleasures among feeling when their temporary concentration may be less than that of another lower pleasures. In other words, Mill believes that the positive success of happiness is often difficult, so that we are often reasonable morally in pursuing primarily pleasures to reduce the amount of pain experienced by our actions. Pain or even the cost of pleasure.

Thus, he introduces the idea of higher and lower pleasures. The higher pleasures are those of a higher quality of that are determined by “competent judges.” This competent judge is someone who is acquainted with both the higher and lower quality pleasures.

The usefulness of his calculus, and the way Bentham defined pleasure came into question from one of his students, J.S. Mill who found his approach too general and simplistic. Mill rejected Bentham’s idea that all pleasures are the same and can be compared, he felt that there were different types or ‘levels’ of pleasure, and that some are more desirable or valuable than others. He decided that some pleasures or more desirable and meaningful than others, that there are