What Utilitarian Is - Notes on Ch5 of the Routledge Guidebook to Mill on Utilitarianism
Experience, Desire and the Ideal - Notes on Ch3 of the Routledge Guidebook to Mill on Utilitarianism
Welfare and Pleasure - Notes on Ch2 of the Routledge Guidebook to Mill on Utilitarianism
All for this textbook (5)
Written for
University of Oxford
University of Oxford
Introduction to Philosophy
All documents for this subject (5)
Seller
Follow
anthony5
Content preview
4. The Proof and Sanctions of Utilitarianism
Moral Theory and Methodology
Mills 'creed' (moral theory) - what makes actions right or wrong:
'Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce
the reverse happiness'
This differed from e.g. Kant
Who believed in following a set of laws/maxims
Even if to lie would create more happiness than to tell the truth for example, we should follow the
maxim of truth telling
Aristotle's 'virtue ethics'
One should act as the virtuous person would act
(virtue theorists say that this will not always lead to the greatest happiness)
How should we decide between these theories?
One theory:
Through moral sense - in any situation or conscience tells us what to do
Another theory which Mill takes more seriously (but does not agree with):
Through the intuitive theory - we have a moral instinct, which also enables us to not make certain
judgements, but to recognise general moral principles
(consistent with utilitarianism)
Mill allies himself with the inductive school - right and wrong are a matter of observation and
experience (empiricism)
Mill dislikes the moral sense view because it implies that there is a sense other than physical
experience, furthermore he was a naturalist (believed everything could be explained by science)
which in turn can explain any notion of moral sense
Mill disagrees with the intuitive theory because it seems to have 'self evident' and unscientific
(empirically grounded) principles, furthermore theorists rarely offer a list of principles, and have not
reduced them to a first principle
Utilitarianism cannot be proved deductively
Mill believed most common sense morality is based on the utilitarian principle, although it is not
often recognised
This does not prove it but does give it a rational footing
i.e. We cannot prove them (first principles) but we can make an appeal to the faculties which judge
them: the senses and internal consciousness
For an empiricist this is equivalent to proof
The stages of the 'proof'
1. Happiness is desirable
2. The general happiness is desirable
3. Nothing other than happiness is desirable
Stage 1: 'Visible' and 'Desirable'
Mill
People desire their own happiness
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller anthony5. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R70,48. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.