With rule utilitarianism you first have to agree to the general rule then after you apply it to specific cases.…
“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.…
This theory is a consequentialist based ethical theory which states you must choose the action that increases the total utility. John Stuart Mill was a key proponent of Utilitarianism. Utility is defined as the total happiness or pleasure, minus the total unhappiness or pain involved in the action. Another name for utility is the Greatest Happiness principle. From the definition of utility, pleasure and the absence of pain are the only things desirable as ends in themselves and are the only things that are good.…
Throughout history philosophers have introduced new ideas and belief systems into society in hopes to better the world they lived in. Many philosophers have introduced ideas that are still in practice in American government. While popular belief among those trying to pave a path forward was that government, as it stood, was tyrannical and overly restrictive, however John Stuart Mill believed that through government happiness and freedom can be achieved.…
Pleasures and pain contribute in determining the classification of one’s actions. In Mill’s Utilitarianism, he examines what determines an action to be considered right or wrong, his own version of the hedonistic utilitarianism argument. He claims that these qualities, including the quantity, are an important factor in determining, when included in the consequences, the criteria of an action. The consequences are significant in determining the results of one’s actions.…
With this general happiness for everyone’s well-being, a persons priority or rights can’t take a lead or be more important over the general happiness of everybody (chapter II, p.17). This agrees with Aristotle’s, that the political functioning in a society through virtuous character are to benefit the community. Mill argues against Aristotle by claiming that because having security is the definitive right that is deserved by all people through law, certain actions, such as torture, are just in order to ensure that a person has security (Chapter 5, p.54). With this being said Utilitarianism follows a concept that is focused on the general happiness of everyone in the community, but also the happiness that comes to them through security. Mill states that there are certain qualities that show justice and injustice, and some of these qualities are that it is unjust for a person to be deprived of their legal and moral rights, but it is just that everybody should get what they deserve. According to this, torture of a person, can be justified because it will overall give people assurance of security and happiness. But, it is also unjust because it violates a person’s moral and legal rights. This is where the General Happiness Principle comes into play. The Greatest Happiness Principle holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness and wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness, which is pain (Chapter 2, p. 7). Happiness is the absence of pain or freedom of pain, which is the only thing that should be desirable as an end and people will always choose the end that is overall more desirable in pleasure (Chapter 2, p. 8). Mill clearly states, “…laws and social arrangements should place the happiness or the interest of…
John Stuart Mill was considered a Utilitarian. The philosophy of Utilitarianism is that an action should be decided by what is best for society. Mill’s philosophy was in part developed by his upbringing as a child. His childhood was restricted and he was raised in an enviroment where is emotionally needs were not met. Also his father was a friend of Jeremy Bentham. Bentham was a philosopher credited with starting the beginings of the Utiltarianism philosophy. He focused on the relationships between the social classes and working towards social reform. His philosophy focused more on social conditions and human behavior than previous philosophies had. He looked at practical solutions for societies problems and less on the metaphysical aspects…
Mill’s Utilitarianism states that in order to be moral, one must make decisions based upon the greatest happiness. In…
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory most often ascribed to the philosopher John Stuart Mill. The utilitarian theory suggests actions and/or intentions are not right or wrong; rather the morality of a choice or act is determined by the outcome or result. Utilitarian’s believe outcomes can be determined in advance of an action and the ethical choice is one which provides the best result or most happiness for the greatest number of individuals (e.g., pleasure, happiness, health, knowledge, satisfaction). The utility theory asserts morality is a means to some other end, it does not stand on its own as being intrinsically moral.…
It seems John Stuart Mills believe of Utilitarianism applies to this tragic epidemic. The view that right actions are those that result in the most beneficial balance of good over bad consequences for everyone involved. The fact that thousands of human lives were lost, unregistered vaccines were administered, and only a select few received the potentially life- saving vaccine says that if you are a part of the “most” that is worth saving then you are in luck but if you are not in the “most” it will cost you your life. A panel of only twelve, that was chosen by the director and assistant director of the World Health Organization, got to decide for the whole world what was best for the human race as a “whole” is a very scary and sobering reminder…
One of Mill’s strongest arguments in support of his philosophy of morality is seen in the last two paragraphs on page 95 of the textbook Ethical Theory. Here we find one of Mill’s foundational arguments which he later builds upon to argue in favor of utilitarianism.…
Utilitarianism is the disagreement that a man should judge everything based off of humans happiness. Whether telling a lie will bring one feelings of hurt or of happiness. As Utilitarianism proposes that doing “good” such as: feeding the homeless or giving charity, something that benefits someone besides them-self, is what brings most happiness to most people. The rule of mill is based off of the decisions we make. The only thing that is important, Mill proposes, is good deed. Mill states we should always benefit other people besides ourself as much as possible and be able to consider any consequences. Mill suggest we should always think about any possible outcomes. Each one of our decisions and or actions, we should base them off the outcome…
Therefore, it can often be a difficult subject for students who are not exactly philosophical thinkers. But by applying the principles of the theory to contemporary human behavior, students get a better understanding of the theory. In fact, this topic allowed me to further dissect Mill’s essay and combine the numerous facts that make up Utilitarianism. For example, I was able to understand the importance of higher level pleasures which helped me develop great interest in Mills theory. For me, Utilitarianism is no longer a narrow minded theory that does not apply to everyone. In fact, I now believe that Utilitarianism is present in everyday good acts through which individuals cultivate their virtues by exchanging lower or higher levels of happiness for intellectual, cultural, or spiritual…
Our morality, which is what, is right and what is wrong is based on our decisions and actions we make each and every day. Unlike animals that rely solely on instinct alone, we as human beings have the ability to make our own decisions based upon our beliefs. You have to ask yourself what is more important to you, is it morally right to pleasure the masses even if it causes harm to some people which is Mills Utilitarianism theory or do you do what is logically and morally right according to universal law like Kant’s deontological theory. In Bernard Williams experiment against Utilitarianism Jim is put in a very difficult situation with only two options and can either not kill any of the Indians or kill one of them himself. In this scenario their…
Utilitarianism is a moral theory which claims that the right action is whatever action brings about the most utility of all the possible actions. Utility is a measure of what is valuable, and John Stuart Mill claims that the only thing which has inherent value is the happiness of individuals. Happiness is defined by Mill as pleasure minus pain, but this is not limited to physical pleasure and pain. Every person's happiness counts equally. So, the right action in a situation is the action whose consequences contain the greatest sum of future happiness that it is possible to create from that…