...philosopher that I have chosen is John Stuart Mill. John Stuart Mill was born on 20th May 1806 in London, to the British economist, historian and philosopher, James Mill and Harriet Burrow. Mill was a philosopher, political and economic theorist, naturalist, feminist, civil servant, scholar and an author. He was well-known as one of the most influential English philosopher of the nineteenth century. He was the eldest son and was educated by his strict father. Mill’s father was a supporter of Jeremy Bentham’s philosophy of utilitarianism and aimed to make his son a genius so that he would carry of Bentham's theory after both his and Bentham’s death. Therefore Mill’s father kept him very sheltered, away from children of his age and taught...
Words: 722 - Pages: 3
...Thinking in Liberal Arts Instructor John Wise September 21, 2014 The Story of Ethics states that the point of the Utilitarian theory is to conceptualize exactly what is good life by “bringing about consequences of a certain sort that is the greatest happiness for the greatest number” (The Story of Ethics). The Story of Ethics also states that the Utilitarian principle of greatest happiness for the greatest number was first popularized by Jeremy Bentham who according to the Lecture Note “version of utilitarianism is known as quantitative utilitarianism” (Lecture Note). According to The Story of Ethics Bentham states that the principle of utility recognizes right and wrong and the causes and effects from right and wrong. These effects can lead to the nature of mankind being either in pain or pleasure and “Bentham assumes that one can only act according to their aversion to pain or desire for pleasure” (The Story of Ethics). The understanding that I have gained from Bentham’s theory is that good and bad is judged by pleasure and pain that is the greater the pleasure the greater the good and the greater the pain the greater the bad. Bentham’s theory is the ethical position that influenced both John Stuart Mill and his father James Mill. According to an article in the Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia “the central aim of John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism is to defend the view that those acts that produce the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people are...
Words: 992 - Pages: 4
...Trying to establish the morality of an action is even trickier than the idea of morality itself. One philosopher will have one belief and another will have a completely different view and an outside person could interpret each of those philosophies in a different way. In the eyes of a utilitarian, such as John Stuart Mills, it would be considered morally justifiable to expend resources on luxuries when those same resources could provide others with the necessities of life. John Stuart Mill was historically known for utilitarianism. This means that he believed the morality of an action is determined by their consequences and uses the principle of utility to evaluate those said consequences. The principle of utility states that actions are right insofar as they promote happiness and wrong insofar as they produce the reverse of happiness. The utilitarianism that Mill is known for is broken into two separate forms. The first is act-utilitarianism; this view says that the particular consequences of each individual action is evaluated by reference to the principle of utility. The second is rule-utilitarianism; this view says that rules are established by reference to the principle of utility and then individual acts are evaluated by reference to the rules. On top of...
Words: 1277 - Pages: 6
...John Stuart Mill vs. Immanuel Kant The aim of this paper is to clearly depict how John Stuart Mill’s belief to do good for all is more appropriate for our society than Immanuel Kant’s principle that it is better to do what's morally just. I will explain why Mill’s theory served as a better guide to moral behavior and differentiate between the rights and responsibilities of human beings to themselves and society. Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of morality in terms of how moral customs are formed. Immanuel Kant presented one perspective in The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals that is founded on his belief that the worth of man is inherent in his skill to reason. John Stuart Mill holds another belief as presented in the book, Utilitarianism, which is seemingly conflicting with the thoughts of Kant. What is most unique about the ethics of morality is the idea of responsibilities to particular individuals. According to both Mill and Kant, moral obligations are not fundamentally particularistic because they are rooted in universal moral principles. Both philosophers have made great impacts in their niche areas in the field. An analysis of their theories may help develop a better understanding of them and their theories. Mill holds an empiricist theory while Kant holds a rationalist theory. Kant explains morality through forms that he believes are essential to free and sensible judgment. Mill’s utilitarian approach...
Words: 2175 - Pages: 9
...Course: Tutor: Date: Theory of Utilitarianism and the Cannabis Dilemma Task 1. What group is the minority group here? How might John Stuart Mill define harm in this scenario? The minority group in this scenario is the terminally ill cancer patients who need marijuana to ease their pain. Mill defines harm in the ‘Harm Principle’. He says that the only reasoning for social coercion is when a person prevents another person from harming the society. He says that the society has an obligation to protect people and to prevent them from exerting harm on their bodies. In the marijuana scenario, the government has a duty to protect people from taking the substances even though the people intend to take it. Task 2. Provide a discussion of John Stuart Mill’s ethical theory in light of current federal law that does not allow patients in Texas to seek alternative medicine, such as medical marijuana, because it is illegal at both the state and federal level. Is this an ethical law according to an application of Mill’s ethical theory? According to John Stuart Mill, an action is right if it promotes happiness to the greatest number of people. Utilitarianism is a moral theory which is founded on the principle that, “if an action promotes happiness it is right and if it promotes pain it is wrong”. There are three principles of this theory. One is the ‘Harm Principle’ which states that the only reasoning for social coercion is when a person prevents another person from harming the society. If...
Words: 657 - Pages: 3
...wrong? Moral judgment is indeed a branch of reasoning, but to what extent? Mill argues that in order to depict right from wrong we need to know what human actions are being judged, and on what extent ones morality dictates it. Mill’s definition of a right action is defined in terms of what promotes the best outcomes, also known as the “priority of good.” There’s the misconception of utilitarianism being utility as opposition to pleasure, but utility is defined by a pleasure being absent of pain. Utilitarian ethics was further developed to...
Words: 1060 - Pages: 5
...Ethical Judgments ! Utilitarianism ! An Introduction to the Moral Theories of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill Ethical philosophy differs from the sciences because it is normative or prescriptive, rather than descriptive. In other words, ethics tell us how we ought to act or what we should do, while the sciences are more likely to observe how things are in nature or society. Making Ethical Judgments Areas of Emphasis in Making Moral Judgments Purpose or Act Rule Act, Rule, Motive or Maxim Results or Consequences Making Ethical Judgments in Utilitarianism ! ! ! Utilitarianism says that the Result or the Consequence of an Act is the real measure of whether it is good or bad. This theory emphasizes Ends over Means. Theories, like this one, that emphasize the results or consequences are called teleological or consequentialist. Bentham’s Formulation of Utilitarianism ! ! ! Jeremy Bentham Man is under two great masters, pain and pleasure. The great good that we should seek is happiness. (a hedonistic perspective) Those actions whose results increase happiness or diminish pain are good. They have “utility.” 1 Jeremy Bentham’s Hedonistic Calculus ! Four Theses of Utilitarianism ! ! ! In determining the quantity of happiness that might be produced by an action, we evaluate the possible consequences by p q y applying several values: Intensity, duration, certainty or uncertainty, propinquity or remoteness, fecundity, purity,...
Words: 1546 - Pages: 7
...regrets,” each individual must live and know their regrets; a person should learn and build off of the mistakes that either they or someone else has made in the past. John Stuart Mill’s ethical theory of Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism, which means by observing similar past events people are able to predict what may happen in their future. As a result of learning from past events a person would therefore be able to make a choice that would bring maximum utility in future occasions. "Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure" (p.412). Mill believes that looking at the motives behind an action are needed to find the source of why a certain choice was made, but the source does not always explain the action, because even though a person may be good morally they may do a wrongful action, even though they may or may not have been acting with the best of motives. However, that person can always get maximum utility (happiness) if it follows the theory of utilitarianism. Ignorance is not always bliss; following mills theory is necessity for reaching maximum utility, but in order to follow it, one must understand it. Mill’s utilitarianism is the most well-structured theory that will help people achieve maximum utility if followed correctly because it provides a logical steppingstone system...
Words: 1566 - Pages: 7
...Contextual Analysis The concept of Utilitarianism by Mill is that an action is right if it tends to promote happiness and wrong if it tends to produce the reverse of happiness- not just the happiness of the performer of the action but also that of everyone affected by it. The Rainbow Fish relates to a core notion of basic utilitarianism, the happiness of the group vs. the happiness of the individual. The basic of utilitarian tenets of "The greatest good for the greatest number" and "Maximizing happiness across the population" are easily apparent when reflecting on Rainbow Fish's decision and the consequences (Mill). In the Rainbow Fish's case, theoretically, he was going to be a little less happy if he lost his scales, but as a result his friends will become much happier. In practice, though, giving everyone a scale actually made him even happier. Mill’s theory of maximizing happiness across the population in Utilitarianism explains why Rainbow Fish becomes happier when he shares his scales with the other fish and his perspective of selfishness explains why Rainbow Fish is unhappy at first. In the book, The Rainbow Fish, there is one of the most beautiful fish in the ocean. Unlike all of the other fish, Rainbow Fish had shimmering, colorful scales. He is asked to share one of his shining scales with a little blue fish, and to which he refuses. All the other fish in the sea leave him alone, and he wondered why. He goes to the wise octopus for advice, and she tells him to give...
Words: 1392 - Pages: 6
...BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN STUART MILL Born in Pentonville, a suburb of London, in 1806, John Stuart Mill was one of the leading philosophical radicals who aimed to further the utilitarian philosophy of Jeremy Bentham. At the age of three he began to learn Greek and by the time he was eight he was learning Latin. By the age of fourteen he had done extensive work in logic and mathematics mastering the basics of economic theory. His father James Mill aimed to make John Stuart Mill a leader in views of the philosophical radicals. At fifteen John Stuart Mill undertook the study of Bentham’s research on the theory of legal evidence. This undertaking influenced him making this his life-long goal of reforming the world in the interest of human well-being. At eighteen he spent much time and effort editing manuscripts. Guided by his father he threw himself into the work of the philosophical radicals beginning his career. In 1823 he began working with his father. He rose in the ranks quickly and eventually took his father’s position as Chief Examiner in the East Indian Company. In 1826 John Stuart Mill went through a deep depression. He felt as though his intellect had been educated his feelings had not. He began to read poetry and met Gustave d’Eichtahl in 1828 pulling him out of the depression. He was introduced to the works of Auguste Comte and Jon Sterling who were disciples of Coleridge. (Wilson 2007) Through these great thinkers Mill came to appreciate social and cultural...
Words: 1010 - Pages: 5
...potentially help other moral agents with the difficult and complicated task of determining what is morally right or wrong. In this paper, I will explain the fascinating ethical theory of Utilitarianism and discuss about two very influential people to Utilitarianism, who are Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill. Along with discussing their contributes to this theory, I will evaluate their personal perspective on Utilitarianism and determine which is more plausible between the two. Ultimately, by doing this I will be able to support the idea that Utilitarianism is not an overall plausible ethical theory to follow. Utilitarianism is a type ethical theory from the ethical objective theory called Consequentialism. Much like in the Consequentialism theory, where morally right and wrong decisions are completely dependent on the consequences produce by an action, morality in Utilitarianism is reliant on the utility of the consequences produced by an action. Utility in this sense means the usefulness of a consequence or the benefits the consequence brings to those all affect by the action. Utilitarians have a strong focus on doing actions that produce the most good. This is due to the principle of utility, which in Utilitarianism states that an action is right if it produces the greatest possibly utility for all those affected by the action. In other words, if an action produces the most good, pleasure, for that situation then that action is right. Unlike in other ethical theories, in...
Words: 1910 - Pages: 8
...Grizli777 John stuart mill Catherine Chamberlain Grizli777 John stuart mill John Stuart Mill was born in London in 1806. In 1873 Mill wrote an autobiography gave great examples about his life and the education he had received. Mill was given this education by his father with the assistance of Jeremy Bentham and Francis Place (Mautner, 2014). Mill had learned to speak Greek by the age of three and then Latin a little later on. Mill was a competent logician by the age of twelve. At age sixteen he had already became a well-trained economist. Mill then suffered a nervous breakdown at the age of twenty and used this nervous breakdown to come to the realization he needed more in life than just devotion to the public good and an analytically sharp intellect (Mautner, 2014). As he had grown up a utilitarian, Mill now listened to Wordsworth, Goethe, and Coleridge to help cultivate his aesthetic sensibilities (Mautner, 2014). Mill wanted the British public to understand that there was a need for a scientific approach to understand the political, economic, and social change that was happening. In Mill’s autobiography he claims he introduced the word “utilitarian” to the English language when he was only sixteen. Mill had come into contact with the idea of utilitarian thought early on in life. In Mills writing of Utilitarianism (1861) he tries to justify the utilitarian principle as the foundation for morals (Schefczyk, 2014). The utilitarian principle states that actions...
Words: 884 - Pages: 4
...Bentham and was adopted by John Stuart Mill, whose father was an associate of Jeremy Bentham. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes the overall happiness or pleasure for all the people involved, by whatever means necessary. The moral worth of an action is determined only by its resulting outcome; therefore utilitarianism is only concerned with consequences and not with intentions of an action. Both philosophers believed that a morally good action will bring the greatest pleasure or happiness, and an immoral action will be the one that produces more pain. Therefore, everything we do and ought to do is driven by the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. The difference between the two philosophers was that Bentham believed that only the quantity of pleasure matters, whereas Mills argues that the quality of the pleasure matters more. Both, Mill and Bentham had very similar view on Utilitarianism, but yet Mill’s was distinguished from Bentham’s. Bentham was more concerned with the amount of pleasure that is generated from an action. He did not consider that some pleasures are higher and some lower. Because of that he was able to quantify the amount of pleasure or pain according to a single set of criteria. On the other hand, Mill believed that the quality of the pleasure matters more and that all pleasures cannot be so simply quantified. The following case needs the principles of utilitarianisms applied...
Words: 683 - Pages: 3
...Are You Happy? According to John Stuart Mill, what does it mean to act rightly or be good? Mill states how people are inclined to act rather than how they should act. He states in his essay written in 1861, Utilitarianism, “actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain and the privation of pleasure.” Mill proves by this statement that we act in a certain way because of the greatest happiness principle; however, I am not convinced that is the way that people should act or the best way to live a moral life. Mill believes that people act the way that they do for the sake of happiness. It is even good to cause pain to a small group of people if the result promotes happiness for a larger group. According to Mill, this is the greatest happiness principle because the actions are not based on the feelings of happiness of one but the happiness of the greatest number. I disagree with Mill’s greatest happiness principle because this is not the way that people should act. I agree that people tend to act that way; however that is not the moral way that people should behave. There is no rational connection between happiness and morality. The simple truth of the matter is that a behavior or action that makes a person happy is not sufficient in establishing that the behavior or action is morally accurate. Just because something makes one...
Words: 502 - Pages: 3
...maximum utility. Other schools of thought would like to put it as the concept of “maximizing happiness while reducing suffering” (Mills 3).In as much as utilitarianism has continued to receive applause from people and the political scene, other divergent scholars has come up with other theories that seek to compromise the philosophies under which the concept of utilitarianism operates. As a result, utilitarianism has become subject to contradictions from other theories in the field of ethics. The thinking class in other fields of utilitarianism characterizes in as a quantitative yet reductionist approach to ethics (Mills 3). Over time, the concept of utilitarianism has received ideological threats from; deontological ethics which does not assign moral worth to an action based on its consequences, virtue ethics that solely deals with action and habits that results to happiness, pragmatic ethics and other forms of ethics that backs the idea of consequentialism. In a nut shell, the concept of utilitarianism as defined by political philosophers and in relation to justice is becoming a “battlefield” where the philosophical bigwigs continue to come up with ideas and findings that seek to either develop or criticize the existing theories. The need to understand the theories surrounding utilitarianism has given birth to such respected and honorable philosophers like John Stuart Mills and John Rawls. The two philosophers have continued to differ in their presentation of the...
Words: 3508 - Pages: 15
