John Stuart Mill's Utilitarianism

In Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill defines his philosophy of utilitarianism as providing the greatest good or maximum pleasure, in the absence of pain, for the most people. The dilemma in this philosophy arises from the definition and pursuit of the greatest good. Hobbes said before in the Leviathan that there is no greatest good or Summum Bonum. In Plato’s Republic, Polemarchus’s definition of justice of doing good to friends and causing harm to enemies is rejected by Socrates because one cannot recognize good or evil, without having knowledge of the good. This is not true for Mill’s philosophy of utilitarianism. Mill sees that the good can be pursued if one has experienced the good and despite their knowledge of it. Although Socrates believes

Actions are right if they tend to promote happiness and wrong if they tend to promote the opposite of happiness. There is no proof that declares this true, but through our continuous actions we see proof and can label actions by their ability to promote or demote happiness. The fact that the majority continue to pursue certain actions is proof that it is the good. Furthermore, pleasure and freedom from pain are the only desirable ends which is happiness and all that we desire is a means to promote pleasure and prevention of pain. What we desire as the good and pleasurable is labeled the good. If it is natural to desire the highest quality pleasures, then all people will desire in such a way, and in this, promote happiness for the most

On page 10, Mill speaks that there are those that know the higher quality pleasures, yet choose the lower. Mill had said before that only ignorant people would choose the lower when knowing the higher pleasures. This is the exception and is very rare. A few people have addicted themselves to the inferior pleasures, not because they prefer them, but because they are the only ones to which they have access or the only ones they can enjoy any longer. People become like this when they want quick satisfaction and sustenance of pleasure. They turn to the pleasures that are easily achievable and secure, yet they do not yield that same happiness that higher pleasures would yield. As people keep from practicing nobler feelings, their ability to experience them fades. Utilitarianism is not meant for those who settle, but rather for those who find pleasure in the fight to obtain maximum pleasure for the most people. People who fail to pursue the higher quality pleasures do not strive for the good, but rather settle for the decent. They may have experience of the good but they have no interest in seeking it