- Published: September 10, 2022
- Updated: September 10, 2022
- University / College: Brunel University London
- Language: English
- Downloads: 26
23-May-14
Mill, Utilitarianism(Mill, Utilitarianism, Hackett, ISBN 087220605X)
Mill, Utilitarianism(Mill, Utilitarianism, Hackett, ISBN 087220605X)
The elaboration of Mill’s principle of utilitarianism focus over the perception of action that determines the ethical consideration keeping in view the utility. The very aspect is expressed by the under the implication of moral binding that raised the concerns of obligations. The concept of a utilitarian framework provided by Mill is the outcome of the referred theory/perception. John Stuart Mills utilitarianism is viewed as a controversial yet appealing philosophy of moral and ethical considerations. The fundamentals of the philosophy, lie over the concern of happiness that transcribe the pleasant individual. The very concept is presented in the book utilitarianism by John Mill. The specific issues are addressed that arose over the transcription of the utility approach in the conduct. Hence the objective behind the illustration is to support the development of large-scale social policy with the element of utilitarianism to enhance the utility and of the policy for the concerns.
The theory of utility presented earlier defined utilitarianism and the principle of utility with the evaluation of happiness over pleasure as a standard of utility. Mills presented the refined form of utilitarian framework of ethics. His theory agreed with the perception that the benefited or utility of an element for an individual is of utmost priority. However, the measurement of the benefits was a concern for the theory of the Mill. In his effort to elaborate the utilitarian framework through a system Mill presented a scale of higher and lower pleasures for evaluation. The consideration of the referred scale marks the pleasures of intellectual as high and above the benefits and pleasures of the body.
Precisely, the prophecy of the utilitarian approach of Mill differs from his antecedents at the point of measurement of pleasure (Rosen). Mill advocated the fury that not all the pleasures of equal value and quality of happiness and pleasure greatly varies according to the nature of a human being. He further elaborated the conceptions of pleasures and happiness retrieved under the utilitarian approach illustrating that the pleasure arose from gratification while happiness is a product of satisfaction.
He presented the prophecy with the example that the wealthy and the young individual may seek pleasure from drugs and alcohol along with an active sexual life with different partners but will obviously lack happiness out of shallow relationships. Hence, this very focus over human nature in the theory of Mill utilitarianism have altered the approach towards utility into the eudemonistic aspect that is human well being consideration, in contrast to the hedonistic aspect that is the pleasure aspect from his antecedents.
Furthermore, from the perspective of morality the good of an action is elaborated in Mill’s utilitarianism under the impression of Aristotle’s eudemonia that is the focus on human well-being from the aspect of utility. Furthermore, this aspect of human well-being is further segmented under the categories of pleasure and happiness. Rendering pleasure over quantity of lower valuation, while happiness as a major with a higher qualitative edge. Thus, we can summon up that Mills perception of utilitarianism is based over the good of human beings. That raises the moral justice as an utmost priority with higher obligation than all the rest. The very approach is illustrated by Mill himself with the statement as under:
” The creed which accepts as the foundation of the morals, utilitarianism or the greatest happiness principle, holds that actions are in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is indented pleasure and the absence of pain: by unhappiness, pain and privatisation of pleasure”.
Do you think that there are any potential problems with utilitarianism?
However, the problem of the implication lies over the adherence subject to the condition of human nature.
What might these be
The ground of the statement are the different categories of human nature that could rather deploy the approach with exploitation.
and how might they be resolved and how might they be resolved.
The solution under such a situation is to rely on the intuition for judgement. In my opinion, the approach presented by Mill is the most comprehensive as it filters the weaknesses of the original utilitarian approach with modifications of considerations to tame resolutions to attain refine the level of justice.
References;
Habibi, Don. John Stuart Mill and the ethic of human growth. Vol. 85. . Springer, , 2001.
Rosen, Frederick. ” Classical utilitarianism from Hume to Mill.”. Philpapers, 2003.
Varouxakis, Georgios. Mill on Nationality. . Routledge, 2013.