How Does Mill Define Utilitarianism?

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In this essay I will define what utilitarianism is and explain the utilitarian moral theory. In order to define utilitarianism one/we should have an understanding of what Mill means by utility. Many people believe that utility could be defined as the opposite of pleasure. This popular opinion would be incorrect according to Mill. He argues that in order for this accusation to be true it would mean that humans would never experience pain. Mill says that “Utility is pleasure itself with the exemption of pain (Mill 262).

After Mill defines utility he discusses the Greatest Happiness Principle. The theory states that “actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness” (262). …show more content…

One of his objections is that “Against this doctrine [of utilitarianism], however, arises another class of objectors, who say that happiness, in any form, cannot be the rational purpose of human life and action; because, in the first place, it is unattainable ”(266). He replies to this objective by explaining that happiness could be attained if society changed. Mill says that “The present wretched education, and wretched social arrangements, are the only real hindrance to its being attainable by almost all” (266). People are capable of being happy if they are taught the proper values.Another objection he discusses is that “ To suppose that life has (as they express it) no higher end than pleasure—no better and nobler object of desire and pursuit—they designate as utterly mean and grovelling; as a doctrine worthy only of swine, to whom the followers of Epicurus were, at a very early period, contemptuously likened”(263). Mill replies by saying that humans pleasure is of more value than the pleasures of an animal. He also explains that people have different quantities of pleasure. This basically means that some happiness is of higher value than other happiness. If a person would choose one pleasure over another it could be considered that it is of higher quality.In conclusion, John Stuart Mill defined utilitarianism as the maximization of pleasure itself and the reduction pain. The greatest happiness principle states that actions are good if the promote happiness amongst several people and they would be considered bad if they reverse this happiness. He also makes several arguments that support this

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