Justice John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill British

Justice John Stuart Mill

John Stuart Mill British Philosopher 1806 – 1873 Most Famous Works: • Utiliarianism deals with ethics. • On Liberty deals with political philosophy

Broadened View of Happiness • • Pleasures of sensation Pleasures of feeling and imagination Pleasures of moral sentiment Pleasures of the intellect

Higher and Lower Pleasures • Need to look not just at the quantity of pleasure but also at the quality. • “It is better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied that a fool satisfied. ” p. 19

Quality Test “Of two pleasures, if there be one to which all or almost all who have experience of both give a decided preference, irrespective of any feeling of moral obligation to prefer it, that is the more desirable pleasure. ” p. 18

Mill’s Two Basic Principles • Greatest Happiness Principle: “Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as the tend to produce the reverse of happiness. ” Utilitarianism • Harm Principle: “The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others” On Liberty

How are the two principles related? • Mill’s Basic claim: The harm principle tends to maximize the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

Basic Liberties according to Mill • Freedom of Conscience • Freedom of Speech and Thought • Freedom of Assembly