PHIL 115 Lecture Notes - Foundationalism, Kantian Ethics, Liberal Democracy
Document Summary
The attributes of john stuart mill and all above. Mill will reply to kant"s moral philosophy with his moral theory of utilitarianism. It serves as an alternative to kantian deontology. What matters is the consequences of our actions, not the intent behind our actions. Justification for a negative consequence cannot be a good-willed intent. These consequences of our actions affect other people, so to disregard them completely is amoral. Jeremy bantham was the first to bring about utilitarianism. Utilitarianism purports that an action is morally right based on the net utility it produces and a minimal amount of human suffering. If we want to create a just society, one that uses utilitarian ethics would be most sound. Mill was a proponent of liberalism, which was created in the 18th century. The purpose of the government is not to re-invent human nature, but to make human relations more rational, free, and peaceful.
