The Foundation of Utility and John Stuart Mill Essay

The Foundation of Utility and John Stuart Mill The foundation of Utility is based on John Stuart Mills notion that one must strive to act in such a way to produce the greatest good of the greatest number. Utility itself relies on the responsibility of the individual to remain impartial in his endeavor to produce the greatest good, looking past such extrinsic influences that may render the individual to seek a biased sense of satisfaction. In order for Utility to function as Mill wanted it to, honest judgment and objectivity must be an essential part of ones drive for the acquisition of the greatest good. In order for the insistence that equity and impartiality to hold true to Mills Utility, we must find a foundation from†¦show more content†¦Mills Utilitarianism presupposes that human beings do have a concept for general well being, and that is genuinely by nature good and willfully ethical. It is this generalization that spawns for these sanctions that he has addressed, and it is the role of the good nature of man that determines the worth of his actions. This is also the pivot in Mills mechanics that is probably most argued upon. Kant, Neibhor, and Plato would have had much to say on Mills assumption of the natural goodness of mankind and his given instinct to do good. If impartiality and equity are what good will and duty bring forth, Mill has provided a basis within utilitarianism that reinforces this. Aside from distinct sanctions, many other aspects of Utility lead to the notion that impartiality and equity are set boldly within the framework of Mills interpretatio n. According to Mill, all people are, ethically speaking, equal in all situations. When considering the value of happiness from one individual to another, the issue is proposed to be a straight line representing the equality the value from individual to individual. One persons happiness is just as important as anothers. With this in mind, there is no such reason to even consider a biased view on the distribution of happiness, for in the beholders eyes, it is nothing but equal.Show MoreRelated`` On The Hunt : Killing, Eating, Respecting Wild Beast, By John Stuart Mill1581 Words   |  7 PagesIn the essay Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill argues the purpose of morality is to create a better world as a whole, or to achieve utility. Mill defines utility as actions that promote happiness and pleasure, with the absence of pain and suffering and asserts that utilitarianism embodies this concept, as it is a moral theory that encourages and preaches actions that coincide with such ideal s. John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism relates to A New Environmental Ethics, authored by Holmes Rolston III,Read More John Stuart Mills Philosophy of Happiness Essay1099 Words   |  5 PagesJohn Stuart Mills Philosophy of Happiness Along with other noted philosophers, John Stuart Mill developed the nineteenth century philosophy known as Utilitarianism - the contention that man should judge everything in life based upon its ability to promote the greatest individual happiness. While Bentham, in particular, is acknowledged as the philosophy’s founder, it was Mill who justified the axiom through reason. He maintained that because human beings are endowed with the ability for consciousRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill : Views On Objectivism Essay1233 Words   |  5 PagesJohn Stuart Mill: Views on Objectivism John Stuart Mill defends objectivism about intrinsic value within utilitarianism. A theory of intrinsic value indicates what things are valuable for their own sake. Within the Theories of Intrinsic Value, we think of Objectivism and Hedonism. Objectivism is best described as: Certain ways of life are intrinsically valuable, even if they hold less pleasure than others. Some things are valuable regardless of, and independently of, the pleasure they may produceRead MoreUtilitarianism Vs. Mill Utilitarianism1004 Words   |  5 PagesVS. Mill Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that holds the morally right course of action in any given situation is the course of which yields the greatest balance of benefits over harms. More specifically, utilitarianism’s core idea is that the effects of an action determine whether actions are morally right or wrong. Created with the philosophies of Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806–1873), Utilitarianism began in England in the 19th Century. Bentham and Mill builtRead MoreUtilitarianism, By John Stuart Mill1365 Words   |  6 Pages In John Stuart Mill’s book Utilitarianism, he argues for the defense of utilitarianism, an age old theory originally developed by Jeremy Bentham that states the proper course of action is the one that maximizes happiness. The course of action that maximizes general happiness is also the only true standard for moral assessment. Mill also introduces the idea of ‘first principle’ which state s that it is not acceptable for individuals to characterize actions as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’, because it isRead MoreAn Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation by Jeremey Bentham.1026 Words   |  5 Pageshappiness and wrong if they don’t produce happiness. Happiness is what every human being look forward to. When making a decision, all possible outcomes must be ensured that it will lead to happiness. Utilitarianism is based on the principle of utility .Utility is the ability to be useful while satisfying needs. Utilitarianism is generally considered a moral theory that was found by Jeremey Bentham, a 19th century English philosopher and a social reformer. In 1923, he wrote a book called An IntroductionRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill s On Liberty And Utilitarianism Essay2257 Words   |  10 PagesThis essay examines and inspects liberty and order conflict based on the writings of philosopher John Stuart Mill, titled On Liberty and Utilit arianism. We will discuss how his philosophical views on equality as fundamental to what it means to be human. We will interpret John Stuart Mill’s theorist view on equality as fundamental to the good or bad functioning of the state? The question and debate we would also raise will be, is equality be integral the arrangements of power? Lastly, we wouldRead MoreJohn Locke And David Hume1135 Words   |  5 PagesBentham was an English philosopher in 18th century London, England. Influenced by the works of John Locke and David Hume, he brought up a philosophical theory that derives from an empirical viewpoint, which means theorizes that all knowledge are obtained through our sense experience. Bentham was considered as the founder of utilitarianism which he defines as, â€Å"the ethical doctrine that virtue is based upon utility and that behavior should have as its goal the procurement of the greatest happiness for theRead MoreUtilitarianism : The Morally Right Action1194 W ords   |  5 Pageshappiness to be the foundation of morality. The famous version, â€Å"act utilitarianism,† says the morally right action is the one that brings about the greatest consequence of the greatest number of people. Mill thought it was obvious that everyone ultimately wants to be happy, so he made this the foundation of his moral philosophy. Mill notice that people were literally defining utility as the opposite of pleasure and not understanding the complete purpose of utilitarianism. Whereas, utility is defined, â€Å"AsRead MoreCareer Prospects Vary For Me872 Words   |  4 Pageshis essay, Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill defines utilitarianism as a theory based on the principle that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. Mill defines happiness as the presence of pleasure and the absence of pain. Mill notes how a lot of people’s understanding of utilitarianism is skew ed because they view utility as basically resisting comfort or pleasure. He argues that utility, in fact, is pleasure itself