John Stuart MillJohn Stuart Mill1806 – 18731806 – 1873

BackgroundBackground A child prodigy who had a A child prodigy who had a

nervous breakdown at 20 and nervous breakdown at 20 and who’s life was saved by who’s life was saved by reading Wordsworth and reading Wordsworth and Coleridge.Coleridge.

Would the Would the Lyrical Ballads Lyrical Ballads (Wordsworth) have saved us?(Wordsworth) have saved us?

What Mill disliked about Bentham’s What Mill disliked about Bentham’s view:view:

It failed to differentiate us from It failed to differentiate us from animalsanimals

Mill wanted to argue that Mill wanted to argue that some pleasures were some pleasures were

“higher”“higher”

“It is better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied” (Mill p 260)

Here’s a list of pleasures. List them in Here’s a list of pleasures. List them in descending order of enjoyablenessdescending order of enjoyableness?? Eating an ice creamEating an ice cream Eating oystersEating oysters Listening to Britney SpearsListening to Britney Spears Listening to MozartListening to Mozart Going round an art galleryGoing round an art gallery Watching NeighboursWatching Neighbours Reading a novel or poetryReading a novel or poetry Running a raceRunning a race Playing RugbyPlaying Rugby Watching RugbyWatching Rugby Doing a favour for a friendDoing a favour for a friend

Was Mill just a Was Mill just a snob???????snob???????

Mill argued that the Mill argued that the lower lower pleasures were of the mind, pleasures were of the mind, and the higher of the body.and the higher of the body.

He felt that, after the lower He felt that, after the lower bodily needs were met we could bodily needs were met we could attend to the higher attend to the higher spiritual, spiritual, moral, cultural moral, cultural pleasures. pleasures. (Who decides? Only someone (Who decides? Only someone who’s experienced who’s experienced bothboth))

Vardy and Grosch Vardy and Grosch comment:comment:

““On this view, a person who eats On this view, a person who eats and drinks in moderation in order and drinks in moderation in order to design elegant, ecologically –to design elegant, ecologically –sound clothing is morally sound clothing is morally superior to the person who is superior to the person who is anxious to produce quick, profit-anxious to produce quick, profit-making designs in order to making designs in order to pursue the pleasures of sex, food pursue the pleasures of sex, food and drink” (1994:79)and drink” (1994:79)

W.D. Ross argued that this W.D. Ross argued that this produces counter-intuitive produces counter-intuitive

outcomesoutcomes

Example: who do we save in Example: who do we save in the burning bus, our son or a the burning bus, our son or a famous heart surgeon who famous heart surgeon who has potential to save has potential to save thousands?thousands?

Ross argued we have a Ross argued we have a prima facie (before anything prima facie (before anything

else) duty to save our sonelse) duty to save our son DutyDuty InstinctInstinct LoveLove overrideoverride………..……….. Reason (The Utilitarian application Reason (The Utilitarian application

of GHP)of GHP)

SummarySummary Bentham’s hedonistic utilitarianism isBentham’s hedonistic utilitarianism isUnworkable (imperfect knowledge + Unworkable (imperfect knowledge +

daft idea of utils)daft idea of utils)SelfishSelfish Counter-intuitive (happiness is not Counter-intuitive (happiness is not

the same as pleasure)the same as pleasure)

Summary: MillSummary: Mill Mill’s isMill’s is Snobbish (why isn’t my rap music as Snobbish (why isn’t my rap music as

good as your Mozart?)good as your Mozart?) Counter-intuitive (duty and love Counter-intuitive (duty and love

contradict it)contradict it) Ambiguous (was Mill an Ambiguous (was Mill an Act Act or or Rule Rule

Utilitarian?? Or a Utilitarian?? Or a virtue ethicistvirtue ethicist?)?)

Act or RuleAct or Rule Act = Act = follow the action that maximises follow the action that maximises

pleasure (Bentham) or happiness (Mill)pleasure (Bentham) or happiness (Mill)

Rule = follow the rule which maximises happiness

Rule UtilitarianismRule Utilitarianism The correctness of a rule is determined The correctness of a rule is determined

by the amount of good it brings about by the amount of good it brings about when it is followed.when it is followed.

Or……..the practice of following a rule Or……..the practice of following a rule (always stopping at red lights) creates (always stopping at red lights) creates greater happiness than allowing people greater happiness than allowing people discretion (eg stopping only when discretion (eg stopping only when something’s coming the other way).something’s coming the other way).

The British v the Italian or Greek worldview!!!!!

Which was Mill?Which was Mill?

In Utilitarianism Chapter 2 Mill states:“Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness … by happiness is intended pleasure and the absence of pain” (1991:137)

But on the other But on the other hand…..hand…..

When defending rights, he seems to be a rule When defending rights, he seems to be a rule utilitarian:utilitarian:

“ “To have a right, then, is ..to have To have a right, then, is ..to have something which society ought to defend me something which society ought to defend me in possession of. If the objector goes on to in possession of. If the objector goes on to ask, why it ought, I can give no other reason ask, why it ought, I can give no other reason than general utility.” than general utility.”

Is this the same as the traffic light Is this the same as the traffic light example???example???

General happiness = everyone protects rightsGeneral happiness = everyone protects rights

Maybe he took a Maybe he took a compromise positioncompromise position

Justice demands we keep the rules…Justice demands we keep the rules…unless…unless…there’s some overriding social there’s some overriding social duty to break it in duty to break it in this individual this individual case case eg to save a life eg to save a life

A pragmatic rule utilitarian view????A pragmatic rule utilitarian view???? Or is Mill a Or is Mill a virtue ethicistvirtue ethicist? He argues ? He argues

for maximising “not the agent’s for maximising “not the agent’s happiness, but the greatest amount of happiness, but the greatest amount of happiness altogether” (1991:142)happiness altogether” (1991:142)

Mill appeals to virtueMill appeals to virtue Mill concedes that for everyone to accept the Mill concedes that for everyone to accept the

utility of society needs “a certain utility of society needs “a certain nobleness nobleness or or generosity of charactergenerosity of character” (1991:142)” (1991:142)

So for social utility to thrive, we need:So for social utility to thrive, we need: Education for all (eg to transcend Education for all (eg to transcend

selfishness)selfishness) Elimination of poverty (eg so all can Elimination of poverty (eg so all can

enjoy enjoy higher pleasures of music and books)higher pleasures of music and books) Are we back to Aristotle’s habits of Are we back to Aristotle’s habits of

character???character???

Case Study 1Case Study 1

Charlotte CordayCharlotte Corday

Charlotte came from a small French village in 1794 in order to kill Marat, who was responsible for listing thousands for death by guillotine in the Great terror of 1793.

Her final wordsHer final words

She was caught and She was caught and guillotined. When asked guillotined. When asked whether she had anything to whether she had anything to say she replied:say she replied:

““Yes. I succeeded!”Yes. I succeeded!”

Case Study 2Case Study 2

Titus OatesTitus Oates

Titus OatesTitus Oates Caught in a blizzard for a week Caught in a blizzard for a week

without enough food, Titus walks out without enough food, Titus walks out into the storm:into the storm:

““I may be gone some considerable I may be gone some considerable time,” he says, (and was).time,” he says, (and was).

Case Study 3Case Study 3 The East Lancs division come in on The East Lancs division come in on

the Gallipoli beaches in the second the Gallipoli beaches in the second wave at Cape Helles in 1915.wave at Cape Helles in 1915.

One of the first VCs they won was One of the first VCs they won was (name unknown, will fill in)(name unknown, will fill in)

He threw himself on a grenade his He threw himself on a grenade his colleague had dropped, so saving the colleague had dropped, so saving the platoonplatoon

Jim and the IndiansJim and the Indians Bernard Williams argued that Utilitarian Bernard Williams argued that Utilitarian

George would take job working in a George would take job working in a chemical research plant if it was the only chemical research plant if it was the only job available and….job available and….

Jim when faced with the choice of killing Jim when faced with the choice of killing one Indian himself so that 20 were saved one Indian himself so that 20 were saved from certain death, would kill the one from certain death, would kill the one Indian.Indian.

But you and I wouldn’t necessarily do But you and I wouldn’t necessarily do either. Why?either. Why?

““A feature of utilitarianism is that it A feature of utilitarianism is that it cuts out a kind of consideration…. that cuts out a kind of consideration…. that each of us is specially responsible for each of us is specially responsible for what what hehe does, rather than for what does, rather than for what other people do. This is an idea closely other people do. This is an idea closely connected with the value of connected with the value of integrityintegrity." ." 

So Utilitarianism goes against the idea So Utilitarianism goes against the idea of personal integrity.of personal integrity.

Three strengths of Mill’s Three strengths of Mill’s approachapproach

Takes rights seriously (justice)Takes rights seriously (justice) It’s unselfish – not individual It’s unselfish – not individual

pleasure but the social good – pleasure but the social good – maximising social happinessmaximising social happiness

Motivation of general sympathy for Motivation of general sympathy for fellow humans – “the Golden Rule fellow humans – “the Golden Rule contains all the ethics of utility” (Mill contains all the ethics of utility” (Mill essay on Utilitarianismessay on Utilitarianism))

Three weaknessesThree weaknesses We cannot calculate consequences We cannot calculate consequences

accuratelyaccurately If I don’t feel sympathy why bother If I don’t feel sympathy why bother

with your welfare and not just my own?with your welfare and not just my own? Suppose society prefers to persecute a Suppose society prefers to persecute a

minority. Mill’s utilitarianism can’t minority. Mill’s utilitarianism can’t stop us because goodness is still stop us because goodness is still relative to some agreed idea of social relative to some agreed idea of social utilityutility

ExerciseExercise Draw two columns Draw two columns Mark one Bentham and one MillMark one Bentham and one Mill Contrast Bentham and Mill’s version Contrast Bentham and Mill’s version

of utilitarianism under different of utilitarianism under different headings eg definition of utilityheadings eg definition of utility