The Mill s Greatest Happiness Principle - 1543 Words

According to Aristotle, the most choice worthy goal of human action is to be happy. Virtue is choosing the mean between two extremes of deficiency and excess. Furthermore, virtue is doing the right thing, in the right way, in the right amount, at the right time, to the right people. Aristotle felt that there was no reason to be too specific with this explanation, because if you are virtuous you know what to do. There is really no guidelines to follow with this, because it is based on your character. Happiness and virtue are related, because to be happy, you have to be virtuous. Mill’s Greatest Happiness Principle is the foundation for the Utilitarianism views. Mill’s Greatest Happiness Principle is described as the actions that†¦show more content†¦They traded their freedom for their security. According to Locke, the ‘State of Nature’ is the condition that humans are in before there is any government. Locke believes that everyone was equal, becau se they were all creations of God and that they all live in peace. He believed that no one should harm another s life, liberty or possessions. People must submit themselves over to the sovereign and consent to the laws enforced by them to enter into the ‘Political Society’. The people did this to insure the protection of their properties; their life, liberty, and estate. However, the people can overthrow the sovereign if the laws become unjust. From Hobbes perspective, the ‘Social Contract’ was when people came together to give up some of their rights so others would give up theirs. He believed that men will be willing to give up their rights as long as others did the same. The ‘Social Contract’ was set up to enforce moral rules to help everyone flourish. Property rights would increase crops and farming, punishments for stealing would increase consumerism and investing. Militaries and police would enforce laws; therefore, the actions and attitu des from the state of nature would disappear. Basically the ‘State of Nature’ was the giving up of power to give to another, and in this case it was the sovereign. This would be an absolute sovereign where no one could question them andShow MoreRelatedJohn 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 also 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 à ¢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 thisRead MoreSimilarity Between Religion And Utilitarianism813 Words   |  4 Pagesconsequence of every action is happiness. There is a similarity between religion and utilitarianism. For example, love includes wanting happiness and religious principles such as loving others the way you love yourself and doing to others what you expect them to you are founded on utilitarian principles. The ultimate goal for a utilitarian is happiness, which is also the main objective of religion. Utilitarian ethics replicates the main religious rules. A principle like not lying is wrong in theRead MoreWhat Has Posterity Ever Done For Me By Robert Heilbroner1626 Words   |  7 Pagesresponsibilities towards future generations in regards to preserving the planet. In this paper, I will present Heilbroner s arguments for posterity, in relation to how we treat our environment. In addition, I will compare two ethical theories, Kant s Categorical Imperative to Mill s theory of Utilitarianism. I will then argue as to why Utilitarianism is more plausible in respect to Heilbroner s environmental view on posterity. Furthermore, I will point out why Kantian theory does not at all support the ideaRead MoreUtilitarianism : The Utilitarian Moral Theory Essay968 Words   |  4 Pagesgeneral form, what is the utilitarian moral theory? In its general form, the utilitarian moral theory advocates that an action is morally right if it serves the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. 2. What is hedonism, and what is hedonistic utilitarianism? And, what was Epicurus s view about pleasure? Hedonsim is the principle that suggests that pleasure is the motivator of one’s life and hedonistic utilitarianism is when ethics is determined by how much pleasure or pain is producedRead MoreEthical Theories Of Utilitarianism By Jeremy Bentham And John Stuart Mill State1564 Words   |  7 PagesWhen it comes to normative ethics, a custom originating from the late eighteenth and nineteenth century English economists and philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill state that an activity is morally right on the off chance that it has a tendency to increase pleasure and morally wrong in the event that it tends to deliver the opposite of pleasure, pain – not only the pleasure of the person performing the activity but additionally that of everybody influenced by it. A theory of such isRead MoreKant And John Stuart Mill s Utility Based, Utilitarian Moral Theory1551 Words   |  7 Pagesideologies can arise to similar conclusions based on vastly different rationales. Immanuel Kant s duty-based, deontological moral theory and John Stuart Mill s utility-based, utilitarian moral theory are prime examples of antithetical viewpoints that share similar outlooks to ethical subjects such as lying and helping those in need through vastly different lines of reasoning. The fundamental basis of Kant s moral theory is that the only universal good is the good will and, more specifically, it isRead MoreAn Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation by Jeremey Bentham.1026 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is Utilitarianism? I believe that utilitarianism is the theory in which actions are right if they produce happiness 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 JeremeyRead MoreUtilitarianism : The Greatest Happiness Principle1176 Words   |  5 PagesUtilitarianism John S. Mill describes 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 greatest happiness for the majority of people involved. Mill mentions, â€Å"†¦ the greatest happiness principle holds thatRead MoreUtilitarianism, And Principle Of Utility1319 Words   |  6 Pageselevated than the animal appetites and, when once made conscious of them, do not regard anything as happiness which does not include their gratification.† (Mill, 332) There have been many philosophers who have taking up the topic of utilitarianism, but one that defines the quality of pleasures along with defining that there are actions behind picking those pleasures would be John Stuart Mill. Mill in his years of talking and discussing utilitarianism disagreed and agreed with philosophers and had