PHIL 118 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: John Stuart Mill, Jeremy Bentham, Harm Principle
28 Jun 2018
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How do you differentiate between good and bad? What are we basing this off of?
Stems from western ideals. The working class has power.
Freedom to pursue
No child labor
Human rights
Humans are inherently good and well-meaning
Conscience
Social norms
Harm principle
Do no harm, everything else is permitted
John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
Proponent of liberalism
Freedom of individual over rule of the state
Proponent of women's suffrage
Utilitarianism (1863)
Influenced by Jeremy Bentham
Greatest Happiness Principle
Actions judged by whether they produce happiness
Happiness is pleasure and the absence of pain
Unhappiness is pain and privation of pleasure
Happiness is the ultimate goal for all humans.
Pleasure is not just bodily. It can be of the mind/intellect.
Higher intellect = more kinds of pleasure and suffering potential
Choosing between pleasures or pleasure and pain
Should always choose intellectual pleasure over bodily
Need people with best experience and knowledge to help choose
Greatest Happiness Principle
Rule of human conduct
Need to also judge happiness of society
To maximize happiness in society
Individual will desire happiness for others
Criticism: Happiness unattainable
Mill's response: Happiness nor just emotion, can live in contentment
Criticism: People can exist without happiness like martyrs
Mill's response: Martyr's end goal is happiness for others
Criticism: Too much to ask others to think of greater good
Mill's response: Happiness principle can be applied to daily life and individual environment
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