The Greatest Happiness Principle Essay - 1376 Words

In this paper I will present and critically assess the concept of the principle of utility as given by John Stuart Mill. In the essay â€Å"What Utilitarianism Is† #, Mill presents the theory of Utilitarianism, which he summarizes in his â€Å"utility† or â€Å"greatest happiness principle† # (Mill 89). Mill’s focus is based on an action’s resulting â€Å"happiness,† # pleasure and absences of pain, or â€Å"unhappiness,† # discomfort and the nonexistence of contentment, rather than the intentions involved (Mill 89). After evaluating Mill’s principle, I will then end this essay by discussing my personal opinion about the doctrine and how I believe it can be altered to better suit real-life situations. The principle of utility is based on the greatest amount of†¦show more content†¦However, those people with the means are reluctant to sacrifice an excessive amount that they would descend in status (Mill 89). Those who are of lower faculties #, and thus have less enjoyment, are more easily satisfied (Mill 90). Compared to their inferiors, people of higher classes continue to seek happiness and are never truly satisfied. Mill links this continuous search with dignity (Mill 90). Due to the sense of dignity, â€Å"someone will not feel envious of those who bear imperfections because he does not understand the benefits of those limitations† # (Mill 91). In explaining this concept, Mill compares a human being dissatisfied to a pig satisfied and Socrates dissatisfied to a fool satisfied. The pig and fool reason that they are well-off, but the human being and Socrates know they are superior because they are further educated (Mill 91). On the issue of whom seeks the higher # or lower pleasures #, Mill associates the decision with inner will. Mill holds the belief that those who are capable of obtaining higher pleasures, fall to temptation and seek lower pleasures, which expresses their weakness (Mill 91). From inferiority, men select quick yet less valuable rewards. According to Mill, the decision is not made willingly, but due to the incapability of seeking one pleasure and pursing the other. This choice is affected by society’s influence on theShow MoreRelatedUtilitarianism : The Greatest Happiness Principle1176 Words   |  5 Pagesdescribes utilitarianism, also known as â€Å"The greatest happiness principle†, as a philosophical theory of morality. This theory is focused on the end result (a consequential theory) rather than the motive behind it. It argues that the morality of the action is solely dependent on the action’s results. The action is morally ethical as long as it produces the g reatest happiness for the majority of people involved. Mill mentions, â€Å"†¦ the greatest happiness principle holds that actions are right in proportionRead MoreUtilitarianism : The Greatest Happiness Principle1574 Words   |  7 Pagesis best referred to as the â€Å"Greatest Happiness Principle.† This means that when one considers himself as a utilitarian, he believes it is only right to judge the rightness or wrongness of an action based on the consequences. In other words, â€Å"actions are considered moral when they promote utility and immoral when they promote the reverse† (Nubcaek 2011). The principle of utility helps to capture an idea of the good is that which produces the greatest benefit, greatest advantage, or the satisfactionRead MoreUtilitarianism, Or The Greatest Happiness Principle1407 Words   |  6 PagesUtilitarianism, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, states that the morality of an action should be judged based on the extent to which i t produces happiness, or the opposite of happiness—an action is good as long as the result is happiness, and deemed bad if it results in pain. A clearer understanding of what Utilitarianism is can be gained by John Stuart Mill’s characterization of what it is not. He states, â€Å"I believe that the very imperfect notion ordinarily formed of its meaning, is the chiefRead MoreThe Mill s Greatest Happiness Principle1543 Words   |  7 Pagescharacter. Happiness and virtue are related, because to be happy, you have to be virtuous.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Mill’s Greatest Happiness Principle is the foundation for the Utilitarianism views. Mill’s Greatest Happiness Principle is described as the actions that promote happiness, or even just the absence of pain, are good and moral. The role that it plays in ethical decision making is that it looks at the end results of a decision and takes the action that satisfies the greatest amount of happiness for the greatestRead MoreMoral Justification in Greatest Happiness Principle1124 Words   |  5 PagesJohn Stuart Mill, a Utilitarian philosopher, on the idea of the Greatest Happiness Principle. The greatest happiness principle is kind of simple alteration of the quote in that instead of acting out the needs of the many we can act so long as the action promotes the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people affected. Meaning that any action you can take can be morally justified if it brings about the most amount of happiness to the most amounts of people. Ac cording to John Stuart Mill thisRead MoreConsequentialism And Its Effects On The Greatest Happiness Principle1527 Words   |  7 PagesConsequentialism based on the Greatest Happiness Principle. This principle states that actions are right in proportion as they promote happiness and wrong in proportion as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. Utilitarians apply this principle in their belief that one should consider every possible action they may take and choose the one that produces the greatest overall happiness in the world. Utilitarianism is different than Consequentialism because it focuses on human happiness as the consequenceRead MoreEssay about Utilitarianism: The Greatest Happiness Principle528 Words   |  3 PagesUtilitarianism was first brought up along the nourishing of â€Å"The Greatest Happiness Principle† introduced by Jeremy Bentham and further developed by John Stuart Mill, who was a follower of Bentham (Sweet, 2013). Based upon its principle, Ut ilitarianism states that to be good is to generate the greatest possible amount of happiness for the greatest number. In contrast with rational egoism, Utilitarianism focuses more on maximizing the overall net happiness of the majority. When facing a decision to make, utilitarianismRead MoreThe Greatest Happiness Principle By John Stuart Mill1762 Words   |  8 PagesMain Essay The Greatest Happiness principle Morality is used to determine whether an action is right or wrong. Many philosophers have come up with ways to determine the morality of an action, and one such philosopher is John Stuart Mill, an English philosopher and an advocate for utilitarianism. In utilitarianism, morality is based on the greatest happiness principle. The greatest happiness principle states that â€Å"actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tendRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill s The Greatest Happiness Principle1615 Words   |  7 Pagessomeone’s life is unacceptable, but there are times when it has been vital. Utilitarianism is based upon the â€Å"Greatest Happiness Principle† which states that actions are considered moral when they promote utility, meaning happiness, and immoral when they promote the contrary. The British philosopher John Stuart Mill proposes that morality should be driven by the â€Å"Greatest Happiness Principle.† Nonetheless, he al so believes that just because an action promotes utility does not make it so that it isRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill ´s The Greatest Happiness Principle Essay906 Words   |  4 Pagesincludes explaining the â€Å"Greatest Happiness Principle†, happiness, unhappiness, quality of pleasure, lying, and the relevance of time with his view. I will then explain how I agree with the principle of Rule Utilitarianism. I will also consider the objection of conflicting rules in Rule Utilitarianism as well as that of negative responsibility, giving my response to each. Mill claims that morals find their root in Utility, otherwise called the Greatest Happiness Principle.(513) The essence of this