John Stuart Mill: Views On Objectivism

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John Stuart Mill: Views on Objectivism John Stuart Mill’s writing grants us a glimpse as to how he felt Utilitarianism should be best applied and how objectivism ultimately accepts the true “Greatest Happiness Principle”. According to Mill’s chapter two on Utilitarianism, he provides us with his view on intended pleasures. Throughout this reading, we need to establish a foundational understanding of Hedonism, Objectivism and their differences, sensory vs intellectual pleasures as well as what, as per Mill’s argument, qualifies as a “competent judge”. Simply put, John Stuart Mill believed that the end of all action is happiness and, in turn, objectivism about intrinsic value as justifiable by argument. “The creed which accepts as the foundation …show more content…

The intrinsic value, based on hedonism, holds that an act is right if, and only if, it produces the most happiness (pleasure). John Stuart Mill argues that some kinds of pleasures are deemed more desirable and more valuable than other pleasures as opposed to hedonistic views. Mill also describes “the estimation of pleasures should be supposed to depend on quantity alone” (Ch 2, Paragraph 4). According to Mill, he describes the intellectual pleasures, as opposed to sensory pleasures favored by hedonism, as “Socratic” in nature. He states this as such: “It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied” (Ch2, paragraph 7). A Socratic person may, occasionally, also be tempted to settle for a lower class of pleasure. In addition to an explanation of objectivism, hedonism and their differences there is one last part to the foundation that will fully furnish an understanding of Mill’s argument: the competent …show more content…

Mill also states his reason for the fool; If the fool of this argument offers a different argument, then it is only because they only understand their own side of the argument. Further questions arise such as: What counts as something valuable? Who can judge this and what qualifies them to be a competent judge? Something can be intrinsically valuable just in case and to the extent that it is valuable for its own sake. A competent judge is capable of experiencing both the intellectual and sensory pleasures and still prefer the intellectual (Socratic)

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