Preview

Categorical Imperative, By John Stuart Mill

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
643 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Categorical Imperative, By John Stuart Mill
Mills’ theory was that everyone should be happy. Not only should they be happy they should be equally happy, meaning no one should be no more or no less happy than anyone else. Mills’ parents believe that the only way to be happy is “self-happiness”. They believe that no one can make you as happy as you can. People can wine and dine with you, but if you are not happy internally, then anything anyone does for you will not make you as happy as you wish to be. I am in agreement with this theory. I believe as long as you know your worth then no one can damper your happiness. You will be happy because you know your worth and you will refuse to let anyone steal your joy (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill-moral-political/).
Aristotle believed
…show more content…
He believed that if you are following the “Categorical Imperative “or “CI” rules, then you are doing the right thing (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/).
No, one does not resonate with me more than the others because all of these are equally important to me. All of these theories are ones I greatly believe in myself. I truly think that everyone should be equally happy and I believe that you should be the first to make yourself happy. I think that everyone should indulge in “good action”, because everyone wants to be respected. Lastly, I think that everyone should adhere to the rules of the law. If the law states that you should not steal, then you should follow that rule and not steal no matter the reason.
My culture follows all of these theories. My mother taught me at a young age that only you can make yourself happy and only you can disappoint you. If you don’t expect anything form anyone then you cannot be disappointed because you are not expecting anything. So, if anyone does anything for you than you are courteous enough to appreciate what they have done and say “thank you” which falls into you using your “good action”. My parents also taught me to follow the rules because if not there will be consequences. A lot of time the consequences are not what you like such as going to jail, if you steal something that is not

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    CHFD331 Quiz 3

    • 1063 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Although a culture may present a set of values and approved ways of behaving, individuals may struggle against the values even if they abide by them in their behavior.…

    • 1063 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “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” (11). That quote is from “Utilitarianism” written by John Stuart Mill. Mill is noted in history as a man who pushed for radical change of social and legal principles using Utilitarianism as his guide. That quote sums up his belief in that theory. In this essay I will be discussing Mill, the theory of Utilitarianism and how that theory relates to contemporary ethical issues.…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Culture comprises the shared values and assumptions of a particular group of people. Because these values and assumptions are shared, it is easy for people to take them for granted and assume that they are the ‘normal way’. This makes people believe that the way they do things and behave, and the things they value, are right and true for everyone.…

    • 1651 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nt1310 Unit 2 Assignment

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A culture was not really told to me the only thing that my sibling and I were told was to not get pregnant before we are married and have a career and to always get a good education. The only…

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Kant approached towards philosophy; he developed “The Categorical Imperative” which is a rule to do what is right. He believed that we shouldn’t lie to one another; he also believed that if we made a promise we should keep that promise. “Kant argues that the moral worth of an action it’s to be judged not by its consequences but by the nature of the maxim or principles…

    • 93 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    What part does happiness play in determining the morality of an act in a situation? Can a concept that ties morality to the search of happiness truly be rational? What of the opposite? Is it possible to view every situation with objectivity, never taking into account an emotion (like happiness)? The questions above concern themselves with the part of the central tenets of the ethical views of two very important philosophers, respectfully: John Mill and Immanuel Kant. The ethical theories that these two philosophers laid out clash with each other in fundamental ways, from how reason was defined, to the role that “happiness” played in determining the ethical choice in a moral dilemma. In the following pages, I will attempt to present and discuss the theories of Kant and Mill, pointing out what I perceive as weakness in said theories, as well as the possible strengths of each system.…

    • 2194 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mill’s perspective on the human condition is one that I favor immensely opposed to Schopenhauer, because it displays an appreciation for what it means to be a human in its truest form. The fact that we are able to innately enjoy pleasures and reflect on the experience is unique and should be valued. Furthermore, we also are capable of enduring mental suffering and advancing through the struggle as a better being on the other side. Both of these situations effectively demonstrate the privilege we are granted by being human. In this paper I will present why Mill makes a strong argument for this case, and also contribute some of my own ideas to towards the concept.…

    • 937 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Culture is the way that people is different societies behave about scenarios. KC Chhipwadia said “ Culture is defining how people behave in certain settings across different groups”(2016). Each culture lives by different norms and truisms. One truism, which governs my life is from the movie Talladega Nights which states, “ If you ain't first you're last”(2006). This truism teaches me that if you don't do things to your best potential than you won't come out to be the most successful.…

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An excerpt from Exploring Ethics, best exemplifies the comparison from Mill and Kant. Kant's ethical system concentrates exclusively on the reason for an action and does not take into account its results, Mill's system focuses only on consequences. Mill's explained "that this is the singularity is the basis in which you use to judge morality, with those being morally right being those that will manufacture the most happiness because in the end all humans seek happiness above everything else." He also argued that fame, money, and virtue could not replace happiness but could be used to obtain it. Mill’s believed that happiness is the guiding arch that drives…

    • 848 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mill’s argues that pleasures can differ in quality by saying that the estimation of pleasures should be supposed to depend on quantity alone. He is trying to say that quantity works better than quality for example if there is one to two person have enough knowledge anything they can only explain their idea and what they think, but if there is a lot of people having some knowledge can make good decision than two of those because they have their large group and can share their own idea to all, in final they make decision including all idea. He also explain that why some pleasure are better than other. He says about happiness and what utilitarianism is? “The supplementary explanations do not affect the theory of life…

    • 434 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The basic moral principle of Utilitarianism is the principle of utility, or the greatest happiness principle. Johns Stuart Mill interpreted the principal of utility to mean that actions are right insofar as they result, in happiness such as pleasure, satisfaction, and enjoyment. As well as actions are wrong insofar as they result in the reverse of happiness such as, pain and suffering. Mills argues that the most moral action is always the one that provides the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Mills thinking is often described as consequentialist because he judges morality in terms of the outcome of an action. But he stressed that it wasn’t individual happiness but the happiness for the mass of people that mattered. For Mills Utilitarianism…

    • 148 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    One of the easiest times of the year to see his idea in action is around the holidays. For instance, around Christmas time, there are Salvation Army buckets placed outside of stores. Meanwhile, somewhere in the parking lot, there is a young child and their mother walking toward the store. As soon as the child sees the bucket they start begging their mother for something to put in the bucket; the mother hands the child some money. As a result, both the child and the person who receives the money from the child inhale some essence of happiness. Along with this, another example of Mill’s ideas is in regards to family. To explain, when a child is young one of the many things that a parent teaches them is that they need to use the bathroom in a real toilet. In other words, a parent and child will face off with one another until the goal is achieved. Mill’s idea is shown when the child and their parent finally reach their goal. To clarify, a when the child finally reaches their goal, there is a sudden outburst of happiness by the parent and the child. In contrast, the parent and child did not begin this journey in order to achieve happiness; they were focused on something other than happiness which allowed them the chance to be happy. However, in both of these examples, an outsider could say that they do not have children; therefore, they are not able to reach their desired level of…

    • 1079 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Born in a middle-class Christian family from South India, the strict traditional values helped to embed the concept of service through family and friends who taught me trust, respect, integrity, and responsibility for my education and beliefs. One of my major spiritual values that kindled the concept of service within me is “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” which is found in the Bible. At an early age I started to practice this concept by not only self-respect for myself but mainly treating others with respect. Individuals may build their moral values from listening to their parents, grandparents, religious beliefs, friends, books, their local societal values and even watching television. Moral values and…

    • 962 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Kant Vs Mill

    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages

    This view forms the basis of the contrasting argument between him and Kant .Mill principle of `utility also known as the greatest happiness is that, when people act out of duty it justifies the utilitarian principle as a foundation of morals.It explains that actions are right in proportions and promote overall human happiness of everything or anything that can ;possibly tolerate pain.it focus on the consequence of actions.Not on rights or ethical sentiments.it is best to be cultivated and noble…

    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Mill believes that, like Bentham, utility is what is valuable to society. Utility, according to Mill, is the promotion of pleasure or the absence of pain. He defines this as happiness, which is why he refers to utility as the Greatest Happiness Principle (Mill 55). Thus, pleasure (or painlessness) is what society finds valuable. Because society finds happiness valuable, it must attempt to maximize total happiness. Mill describes that the presence of pleasure and the absence of pain are the only ends desirable to society. Because of this, any event, decision, or experience is favored only because it is a source for happiness. This means that actions are good if they lead to more happiness and bad if they prevent it (Mill 55) .…

    • 945 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays