An explication of the greatest happiness principle by john stuart mill

Mill was raised in the tradition of Philosophical Radicalism, made famous by Jeremy Bentham —John Austin —and his father James Mill —which applied utilitarian principles in a self-conscious and systematic way to issues of institutional design and social reform. Utilitarianism assesses actions and institutions in terms of their effects on human happiness and enjoins us to perform actions and design institutions so that they promote—in one formulation, maximize—human happiness. As documented in his AutobiographyMill was groomed from birth by his father to become the ultimate Victorian intellectual and utilitarian reformer. As part of this apprenticeship, Mill was exposed to an extremely demanding education, shaped by utilitarian principles.

Objectors of Utilitarianism argue "that there is not time, previous to action for calculating and weighing the effect of any line of conduct on the general happiness.

And not being able to do so might result in an act that does not benefit the Greatest Happiness Principle. Thus not going with the Utilitarianism concept.

Mill believes that the people who feel this way might as well be saying that they cannot practice Christianity "there is not time to read through the Old and New Testaments on every occasion.

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Throughout history other people have experienced similar, if not completely akin, situations as you. Time after time, people have learned that the inclination to do something is "dependent on all the prudence as well as the morality of life.

You gain knowledge through experience and if not your own experience than that of your forefathers. You have to be cultivated to know what to do in situations where you cannot take the time to weigh the effects of your actions.

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Therefore, the experience you learn from history should be from noble people. They will help you attain Utilitarianism, and serve as "competent judges. Utilitarianism has no set moral rules.

Class Notes All the experiences in history have been accumulatedEssay Utilitarianism: Greatest Happiness Principle - Utilitarianism, originally introduced by Jeremy Bentham and extended by John Stuart Mill, (Mark Timmons, ) is an ethical theory which states that to be good is to deliver the greatest amount of happiness to most of the people based on the consequences of the action.

John Stuart Mill's most famous essays written in The essay advocates a more complex version of utilitarianism that takes into account the many arguments, misconceptions, and criticisms many people have about the view of morality many have.

AKA the Greatest Happiness Principle. Utilitarianism. John Stuart Mill () a. Intellectual heir of utilitarian movement b.

Accepts the following i. individual psychological hedonism 1. sole motive of an action is an individual s desire for happiness 2. descriptive (actual) ii. universal ethical hedonism 1.

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greatest happiness of the greatest number 2. normative (ought to be) iii. Mill's utilitarianism supports issues such as marriage equality since it increases happiness without infringing on the rights of others.

It is mostly difficult to reconcile with social justice, because social justice focuses on the few. John Stuart Mill’s principle in the final analysis have contributed much to our understanding of man’s greatest happiness, a justification to existing laws and the value of education.

References: Ebenstein, William.

SparkNotes: Utilitarianism: Chapter 2: What Utilitarianism Is (Part 1)

The Greatest Happiness Principle by John Stuart Mill. 1. John Stuart Mill () a. Intellectual heir of utilitarian movement b. Accepts the following i. individual psychological hedonism 1. sole motive of an action is an individual s desire for happiness 2. descriptive (actual) ii. universal ethical hedonism 1.

greatest happiness of the greatest number 2. .