The Utilitarianism of J. S. Mill
Publié le 09/01/2010
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Mill softened down Bentham's utilitarianism in several ways. Critics had objected that to suppose that life has no higher end than pleasure was a doctrine worthy only of swine. Mill responded by making a distinction between the quality of pleasures. ‘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.' Armed with this distinction, he is able to conclude that ‘It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied'. In applying the greatest happiness principle we must take account of this: the end for which all other things are desirable is an existence exempt as far as possible from pain, and as rich as possible in enjoyments in point of both quantity and quality.
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