PHIL-386 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: John Stuart Mill, Consequentialism, Netflix
7 May 2020
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The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, utility", or the greatest happiness principle" holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain and the privation of pleasure (j. s. mill, utilitarianism ). Mill is giving us a universal moral principle here: the greatest happiness principle or. For utilitarians, happiness is an intrinsic good, and the greatest good. Happiness = pleasure and the absence of pain. It"s not about maximizing your happiness and minimizing your suffering, but the happiness and suffering of all concerned. Philosopher bernard williams argues utilitarianism violates moral integrity because it can require us to reject our personal moral commitments and values to bring about best outcomes. Integrity: the quality of living in accord with one"s values and moral commitments.
