ipl-logo

Compare And Contrast Mill And Utilitarianism

993 Words4 Pages

While it may seem difficult or tedious to donate one’s time or money to a charity, shelter, or soup kitchen, Mill agrees that the discomfort of a few noble individuals is still to the benefit of society as a whole because what truly matters is adding to the total amount of happiness. On this , Mill writes, “Utilitarianism, therefore, could attain its end by the general cultivation of nobleness of character, even if each individual were only benefited by the nobleness of others, and his own, so far as happiness is concerned, were a sheer deduction from the benefit,” (page 11). Mill believes that those that renounce their own happiness for the increase in happiness of society as a whole are honorable, this is shown in this quote, “That the happiness which forms the Utilitarian standard of what is right in conduct is not the agent’s own happiness but that of all concerned” (page 17). The key ideal in Utilitarian morality is similar to the humanity principle in which one should treat others the way they would want to be treated. Other Utilitarian philosophers hold a …show more content…

While a Utilitarian would say that it’s their duty to maximize the overall happiness of society whenever possible, a Kant would say that while donating to charity is a duty, it’s not one that must be fulfilled all the time. To Kant there are two kinds of duties: perfect and imperfect. Perfect duties must always be performed, while imperfect duties can be performed sometimes. For example, not committing suicide is a perfect duty to oneself, because human life is sacred and should be preserved, but charity, or as Kant puts it, “To be beneficent where one can,” is an imperfect duty (page 11). Of these two approaches to homelessness and charity I think it’s better to maximize the overall good whenever possible, even if it causes some unhappiness in the agent, it’s the happiness and betterment of society as a whole that

Show More
Related
1485 Words | 6 Pages

On 10 October 2015, Eileen Pollack published an article in the online New York Times titled “What Really Keeps Women Out of Tech”. This article points out that there is a serious gender and diversity problem among the computer science and engineering professions. Pollack uses the studies and experiments that Dr. Sapna Cheryan, a psychology professor at the University of Washington, has done to argue her points. Along with Dr. Cheryan’s experiments and conclusions, Pollack drew some of her own conclusions about being a woman in a male-dominated field and how it affected her mindset. Pollack’s article is overall effective because her main goal was to bring about awareness to the issue of computer science and engineering professions being male-dominated

Read More
1533 Words | 7 Pages

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that focuses on outcomes and consequences. When one considers the theory of utilitarianism, it must be understood that the pleasure is a fundamental moral good and the aim is to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. So, when a human is going through the decision making process it is of the utmost importance to look forward at the consequences of the decision and determine if the decision will maximize pleasure and minimize pain. John Stuart Mill, a nineteenth century philosopher focused on the theory of utilitarianism or the Greatest Happiness Principle and claimed that the maximization of happiness for the greatest quantity of people is the ultimate goal. One issue that we face in modern day America that

Read More
714 Words | 3 Pages

Mill describes utilitarianism like a hypothesis depend on the basis that if people tend to behave like promoting happiness, it would be a true

Read More
889 Words | 4 Pages

Utilitarianism is stated as, “Utilitarianism is the theory that an action is right if and only if it results in at least as much well-being as any alternative action.” While Kant described Kant’s moral theory as, “ right actions have moral value only if they are done with a ‘good will’.” Both theories attempt to reach positive results that benefit others; however, Kant focuses on doing whatever it takes to help others and not use them. While utilitarianism is when someone may do whatever it takes to earn or increase happiness. It does not matter whatever the action is as long as there is a result of happiness Most utilitarians think that sometimes people are not to blame for performing actions that we generally think of as very

Read More
453 Words | 2 Pages

Although Kant and Mill wrote at completely different times, there is a clear disagreement towards utilitarianism ethics from Kant. Today I am going to discuss the arguments of Kant and Mill’s central ethical principles and how they pertain to actions being right or wrong. I will also compare their stances on lying. According to Immanuel Kant, good will is the only thing that is good.

Read More
609 Words | 3 Pages

Utilitarianism is 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” (118). Mill describes happiness as pleasure and the absence of pain. Mill claims the best action is the one that maximizes utility. Which he defines "utility or the greatest happiness principle” (118) as both the basis of everything that people desire and as the foundation of morality. Aristotle’s moral approach focuses on the development of a person’s character and distinguishes between intellectual virtues, which we learn through instruction, and moral virtues,

Read More
454 Words | 2 Pages

One might also say that making a community focus on individual happiness rather than sacrificing their happiness will make them want to contribute to the common good even more. Someone who disagrees with my idea of utilitarianism would say that focusing on the individuals rather than the whole can cause tendencies of selfishness and people might not want to help the community because they rather help themselves. This might be true in some cases, but according to a study done by Syracuse University, when people are given incentives to help their community by focusing on themselves first then focusing on the community, showed that only 11% of people were selfish and did not bother helping the community.

Read More
977 Words | 4 Pages

We can characterize morals is a situated of good rule, that aides the implicit rules and conduct of a single person too gathering or association, in the reason of individual and expert life and in the public eye (Sanjeev & Khanna 2008, p.57). As such morals is identified with each part of our life. It is the situated of the directing standard for doing the right things. Morals all hands on deck are paramount on the grounds that there is much confirmation to demonstrate that unscrupulous conduct can cost an association, its brand and notoriety, falling influence it on its impart value and bring down the business benefits (Gustafson 2013). There are a few models and hypotheses accessible on morals, yet for this paper I have chosen Utilitarian

Read More
778 Words | 4 Pages

General Remarks In the first chapter of the essay utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill begins by observing something of a crisis in moral thinking: essentially, people have been unable to come to any agreement on what philosophies the notions of "right" and "wrong" are based on. Having portrayed this problem, Mill introduces utilitarianism as a prospective solution. He argues that it is already indirectly used as a standard, and that it achieves the requirements of being a first principle. It is imperative to note that Mill explains morality 's purpose as bringing about a specific state of the world.

Read More
660 Words | 3 Pages

As a utilitarian, Mill relies heavily upon the overall happiness and wellbeing of the community, but there are other aspects of utilitarianism, such as liberty, which in a sense very closely goes hand in hand with happiness itself. To obtain happiness we must be free of restrictions which may limit our pursuit of the overall end goal. In Mill’s case, he stresses the importance of liberty, and uses freedom of speech as an example. Because we as individuals, and community members, require a sense of self to set ourselves apart from one another. He finds, that no matter the opinion, whether outlandish or reasonable, it has the possibility of becoming true, and without liberty we would not be able to come to this sort of conclusion because our rights would be restricted from us.

Read More
1380 Words | 6 Pages

When studying philosophy, a student becomes very aware of the contradiction and different opinions of highly remarked philosophers. Many students become frustrated with the opposition and question the importance of the study all together. Others choose to indulge in these differences to further their understanding beyond what he/ she thought capable of beforehand. The obvious contradictions between Kant’s deontology, and Bentham’s and Mill’s utilitarianism is a perfect example of such occasion in philosophy.

Read More
1259 Words | 6 Pages

1. Utilitarianism Philosopher View (Jeremy Bentham & John Mill) Utilitarianism theory was founded by Jeremy Bentham and then got expanded by John Mill who came up with the 2 types or forms of Utilitarianism which are Act Utilitarianism and Rule Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism says an action is right if it tends to promote happiness, and wrong if it tends to produce the reverse of happiness and doesn’t just involve the happiness of the performer of the action but also that of everyone affected by it.

Read More
852 Words | 4 Pages

A man by the name of John Stuart Mill seems to be able to give us some answers to these questions. Mill starts our inquiring journey with defining what utilitarianism stands for. In short he states that it is the construction of utility, which claims that the actions that stimulate happiness in is morally fit and vice versa to be unfit. Happiness is something that we want for

Read More
777 Words | 4 Pages

X. Utilitarianism Before Socialist European views existed a Utilitaristic economic ideal. In the late 1700s, English philosopher Jeremy Bentham introduced the philosophy of utilitarianism to the European people. According to Bentham's theory, people should judge ideas, institutions, and actions on the basis of their utility, or usefulness. He argued that the government should try to promote the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Read More
1564 Words | 7 Pages

John Stuart Mill, at the very beginning of chapter 2 entitled “what is utilitarianism”. starts off by explaining to the readers what utility is, Utility is defined as pleasure itself, and the absence of pain. This leads us to another name for utility which is the greatest happiness principle. Mill claims that “actions are right in proportions as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.” “By Happiness is intended pleasure and the absence of pain, by happiness, pain and the privation of pleasure”.

Read More

More about Compare And Contrast Mill And Utilitarianism

Related Topics

Open Document