John Stuart Mill s Version Of Utilitarianism - 2088 Words

In the Utilitarian doctrine the consideration of pleasure and pain is constrained to ends. By this doctrine pleasure is the only thing desirable as an end and pain is the only thing undesirable as an end. Everything else is good or evil as it tends to promote pleasure or pain*. I will argue that pain should be considered as a means as well as an end and show that this is consistent with John Stuart Mill’s version of Utilitarianism. Conjoining the consideration of pain as a means and the notion of association of ideas, I will give what I hope is a unique explanation as to why higher pleasures are so often considered superior to lower pleasures. Finally I will end with a short exposition that may help to explain Mill’s mental crisis of 1826 by using the ideas advanced in this paper. Pain and pleasure are experienced partially relative to each other. A given experience will be inherently pleasurable or painful, but previous experiences influence the experience of pleasure or pain. Relevant for this essay, painful experiences tend to increase the pleasure of subsequent experiences. I will illustrate this with an example. Relative to getting a finger jabbed in your eye, not getting a finger jabbed in your eye is pleasurable. Relative to a state of ecstasy, a normal state in which you are not getting your eye jabbed is painful. In both examples, the normal state of not getting a finger jabbed in your eye is the same, except for what came prior. In the first case the priorShow MoreRelatedUtilitarianism : Bentham And Mill766 Words   |  4 PagesUtilitarianism: Bentham VS. Mill Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that holds the morally right course of action in any given situation is the course of which yields the greatest balance of benefits over harms. More specifically, utilitarianism’s core idea is that the effects of an action determine whether actions are morally right or wrong. Created with philosophies of Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806–1873), Utilitarianism began in England in the 19th Century. Read MoreUtilitarianism and Omelas Applying John Stuart Mills Utilitarianism to Ursula Le Guins The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas1220 Words   |  4 Pagesreasons in which a follower of John Stuart Mill s Utilitarianism would disagree with the events taking place in Ursula Le Guin s The One s Who Walk Away from Omelas. The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness (Mill 55). This is how Mill first presents the idea of Utilitarianism. If it promotes happiness itRead MoreThe Differences in John Stuart Mills and Jeremy Benthams Versions of Utilitarianism2151 Words   |  9 PagesThe Differences in John Stuart Mills and Jeremy Benthams Versions of Utilitarianism In what ways did John Stuart Mills version of utilitarianism differ from that of Jeremy Bentham? Which do you consider preferable? The Cambridge International Dictionary of English defines utilitarianism as the system of thought which states that the best action or decision in a particular situation is the one which most benefits the most people. This is the main idea of the system of thought and it isRead MoreMill vs. Bentham2787 Words   |  12 PagesIn what ways did John Stuart Mills version of utilitarianism differ from that of Jeremy Bentham? Which do you consider preferable? The Cambridge International Dictionary of English defines utilitarianism as the system of thought which states that the best action or decision in a particular situation is the one which most benefits the most people. This is the main idea of the system of thought and it is from this the beliefs and opinions of John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873), Jeremy Bentham (1748Read MoreWhat Makes An Action Moral Can Not Be Had Without Thoroughly Examining The Theories Of Immanual Kant And John1696 Words   |  7 Pagesthe theories of Immanual Kant and John Stuart Mill. Mill bÐ µliÐ µvÐ µd that an action s consÐ µquÐ µncÐ µs dÐ µtÐ µrminÐ µ its moral worth, whilÐ µ Kant arguÐ µd that morality of thÐ µ action dÐ µpÐ µnds on thÐ µ good will. BasÐ µd on thÐ µ two contradicting thÐ µoriÐ µs abovÐ µ, this papÐ µr will support Mill s viÐ µw of thÐ µ moral worth of an action bÐ µcausÐ µ it is dÐ µtÐ µrminÐ µd by its practical and usÐ µful consÐ µquÐ µncÐ µs in our sociÐ µ ty. Kant’s dismissal of an action s consÐ µquÐ µncÐ µs is irrÐ µlÐ µvant to our sociÐ µty s moral valuÐ µs. ThÐ µ aim of this papÐ µrRead MoreUse Of Consequentialism, Desire Satisfaction Theory And Objective List Theory1345 Words   |  6 PagesConsequentialism is an approach to Ethics that argues that the morality of an action is reliant on the action s consequence (Mastin, 2008). This theory is based on two main principles, first, that the rightness or wrongness of an act depends solely on the results of it and secondly, that the better act is the one that produces more good as a consequence. What is meant by consequence here is everything that a certain action brings about, including the action itself. The good end required by an actionRead MoreUtilitarianism : The Morally Right Action1194 Words   |  5 PagesTulasha Thapa Final Paper Utilitarianism Utilitarianism states, â€Å"The morally right action is determined by the consequences of the action, not the motives of the agent†. Utilitarianisms consider happiness to be the foundation of morality. The famous version, â€Å"act utilitarianism,† says the morally right action is the one that brings about the greatest consequence of the greatest number of people. Mill thought it was obvious that everyone ultimately wants to be happy, so he made this the foundationRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill s Definition Of Quality975 Words   |  4 Pages John Stuart Mill’s definition of quality can be broken-down distinctively into four separate definitions. When evaluating pleasures, J. S. Mill alleged the quality of particular pleasures is determined by how much pleasure the person obtains from the pleasure, in addition to, how just the pleasure is beneficially to society. Moreover, Mill argued against â€Å"†¦Bentham’s purely quantitative view of pleasure. Without denying that quantity is a consideration in the calculation of pleasure, Mill believedRead More Immanuel Kants Ethics Of Pure Duty and John Stuart Mills Utilitarian Ethics Of Justice2753 Words   |  12 PagesFor The Metaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mills Utilitarianism Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of morality in terms of how moral traditions are formed. Immanuel Kant has presented one viewpoint in The Grounding For The Metaphysics of Morals that is founded on his belief that the worth of man is inherent in his ability to reason. John Stuart Mill holds another opinion as presented in the book, Utilitarianism that is seemingly in contentionRead MoreHappiness Is Worth No More Than Anyone Happiness1980 Words   |  8 Pagespursuing what we pleasure. This way to live and to be wise is referred to as the greatest happiness principle, or utilitarianism as laid out by philosopher John Stuart Mill in his book Utilitarianism, quoting John Stuart Mill s: â€Å"holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong in proportion as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.† (Mill, 1861). Furthermore, when pursuing pleasure for yourself, it is important to seek higher plea sures, and stray away