Sacrifice: John Stuart Mill's Pursuit Of Happiness

) In other words, all of these separate ingredients come together and are aimed towards the collective goal of happiness. Mill goes on to explain this concept in terms of money. He states that many people love money, they desire Page 4 to have it, to posses it, and to use it. But Mill explains that money is desired not as an end itself but as part of one. Meaning that it is a main component in a ‘money loving’ individuals perception of happiness. Thus proving that there is nothing else desired more than happiness because every choice we make is aimed at a desire in which will make our life better, netting the greatest amount of happiness. I agree with Mill’s statements about how there are many things that lead up to a persons end goal of happiness. We as human beings thrive everyday to make

The fact of the matter is, that sacrifice is one of the most influential qualities a human can have. Mill states that, “I fully acknowledge that the readiness to make such a sacrifice is the highest virtue which can be found in a man” (2). If a man is willing to sacrifice so that he can best serve the happiness of others, it proves that happiness is attainable at many levels. Sacrifice is needed in our world because it increases the happiness of those who you are sacrificing for; it follows the principle of attaining happiness for every individual. Mill goes on to say the utilitarian morality recognizes that “A sacrifice which does not increase, or tend to increase, the sum of total happiness, is considers as wasted. The only self-renunciation which it applauds, is devotion to the happiness, or to some of the means of happiness, of others…” (2). In other words, happiness is a good if it promotes happiness, but is not a good if it does not