Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill

Utilitarianism “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” (EMP.123). Utilitarianism accounts for all people and seeks the greatest net happiness. Utilitarianism is unlike egoism, which pursues what is best for one’s self. Utilitarianism also differs from hedonism and epicureanism, which seek to maximize pleasure and avoid pain, respectively. When making a utilitarian decision, intentions are insignificant. The aim is to achieve the greatest good.
The Principle of Utility has its strengths, after all, this principle takes into account all individuals who will be affected by a decision. Moreover, it simplifies the decision making process by eliminating the need to questions one’s motives. It recognizes that
Although Mill addresses these false impressions, if a leader is uneducated on proper Utilitarian decision making, the theory will crumble. Additionally, the choices made using Utilitarianism rely heavily on measurements of the values of pain and pleasure, yet, a unit system cannot be agreed upon. Supposing a unit system was created and accepted, the consequences of a single choice are immeasurable. Furthermore, it is impossible to expect such decisions to be made objectively, since emotions affect all humans. Emotions easily cause a base pleasure that is readily available to be pursued by many, even if that pleasure ought not be preferred to another “higher” pleasure.
Despite the weaknesses of the Utilitarianism, when making large scale decisions, it is often a preferable method. It strives to even the playing feel, so to speak, and gives individuals equal value. Thus, when a verdict is reached, the decision is aimed at the greatest good for all people involved. Additionally, it allows leaders to make logical decisions when faced with extreme