The Order Of Pleasures In John Stuart Mill's The Brothers Karamazov

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John Stuart Mill explores the order of pleasures throughout the second chapter (“What Utilitarianism Is”) of his master ethical composition, Utilitarianism. When determining the quality of two pleasures, Mill firmly asserts that the superior pleasure is distinguished by the “decided preference” of those who have experienced both (8). Mill expands on this claim in subsequent paragraphs, contending that one finds greater pleasure in increasingly intellectual activities. In summation, Mill claims that (I.) usually, intellectual pleasures are higher in order than base pleasures, and (II.) a more intelligent person can access superior pleasures than a person of lower faculties. I will also explore the permanence and ephemerality of superior and …show more content…

humans of elevated faculties), and (III.) concluding the order of pleasures based on the decided general preference of these exceptional humans. When evaluating the pleasures of receiving a sensual back massage and reading The Brothers Karamazov, one would first examine the apparent preference of those who have experienced both pleasures. Many have devoted their academic and personal lives to understanding the content and meaning of The Brothers Karamazov, but few, if any, with the capability of comprehending this work have devoted their lives to receiving back massages. Furthermore, most intellectuals who work in the field of philosophy show a decided preference to studying this novel when juxtaposed with receiving a back massage. Therefore, the pleasure of reading The Brothers Karamazov must be of superior quality than that of receiving a back …show more content…

most intellectual) pleasure available. For example, the greatest pleasure available to a human of elevated faculties might be writing a computer program that analyzes the distribution of water in Africa and increases access to water (and therefore happiness) on the continent. Applying this example to Mill’s hedonic comparison test, one could logically arrive at the absurdity that this person should never brush their teeth, since brushing one’s teeth is a baser pleasure and does not contribute to the principle of utility as much as the noble pursuit of computer programming. Essentially, Mill’s hedonic comparison test does not adequately account for mundane activity as a prerequisite for higher order

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