Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill Chapter 2 Summary

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In Chapter 2 of Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill, Mill endeavours to differentiate between higher and lower pleasures in order to defend utilitarianism as both a feasible and inherently moral philosophy. The first two chapters of exposition restate Mill’s definition of utility as the maximization of happiness, and attempt to unify the aforementioned principle with the moral structure human beings generally operate within. In his defense Mill advocates for what he considers the “ultimate happiness principle,” the morality of maximizing pleasure for all parties. He writes: “one would think that a test or criterion·of right and wrong must be the means of discovering what is right or wrong, and not a consequence of having already discovered …show more content…

High pleasures maximize pleasure and affirm man’s sense of dignity which in turn enriches the lives of others and betters the world as a whole. The “proof” of that pleasure is as moral as it is the ultimate end. Mill’s distinction between higher and lower pleasures is such: an individual who seeks to enjoy life’s higher pleasures is actively achieving good. The base, physical pleasures of man’s lower nature are not the true expression of the ultimate happiness principle. Thus, utilitarianism is an effective system to secure the happiness of both the individual and the …show more content…

The philosopher does not acknowledge how quality or (P1) is to be determined, only stating that is is preferable to vast amounts of P2. P1 and P2 could describe two similar sources of pleasure, such as sampling honeydew and cantaloupe, or two vastly different experiences such as preferring to listen to a symphony live rather having sex. When considering that utilitarianism promotes the aggregate happiness of a population, Mill does not provide a method of determining the degree of quality a source possesses. Further, the philosopher relies on the notion that only those who have sampled both pleasures can accurately determine which is superior. Such an individual is not necessarily a hedonist, they may likely prefer Bach to McDonalds, but the authority resting on a seasoned individual is too

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