The Theory Of Utilitarianism By John Stuart Mill - 1659 Words

The way people live their everyday lives can be very complicated to certain analysts. Yet. to others the decisions that a person will make is as simple as whether the resolution causes more pain or pleasure. This type of lifestyle decision making represents the theory of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is a theory, in the simplest form of choosing pleasure over pain, established by Jeremy Bentham and further developed with other philosophers, most notably by John Stuart Mill. The use of utility obtains calculated values from multiple circumstances, ranging from the intensity to the extent of pain and pleasure that becomes involved within the decision. A large controversial topic involving utilitarianism is terminal illness and whether†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"To disprove the propriety of utility by arguments is impossible.† (Bentham, pg. 45A) A standard of what is right and what is wrong comes from utility. Even if humans think they are doing the right thing out of t he goodness of their hearts, they are actually evaluating the overall pleasure and pain that will come with the decision and choose according to that, most of the times subconsciously. Individuals have motives to accomplish goals and these motives are just prime examples of the principle of utility and that it enforces this ideology, not to dispute the reasoning. With all of the impacts that come from utilitarianism, a way to formulate a conclusion is very plausible. â€Å"Pleasure and pains are the instruments he has to work with: it behooves him therefore to understand their force, which is again, in other words, their value.† (Bentham, pg. 47B) When calculating an action to see what path an individual should take, the overall pleasure faces off with the overall pain. The value of pleasure and pain has seven different factors that will impact decision making. The first four basic influences appear from the circumstances dealing with intensity, duration, certainty/uncertaint y, and propinquity/remoteness. The next three factors are the fecundity (sameness), the purity (uniqueness), and the extent of a situation. The first four factors develop each by themselves, yet fecundity and purity areShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Utilitarianism By John Stuart Mill2034 Words   |  9 Pageschoices we make. Some of our actions bring about happiness and some promotes the reverse of such actions. According to the theory of utilitarianism which is a part of normative ethics states, â€Å"best moral action is the one that maximizes utility.† In other words it relates to the well-being and the state of happiness in an individual. The famous British philosopher John Stuart Mill also argued that, â€Å"Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong in proportion as they tend toRead MoreThe Theory Of Utilitarianism By John Stuart Mill2066 Words   |  9 PagesNovember 2014 One of the most well known ethical theories is the theory of utilitarianism as described by, one of its strongest advocates, John Stuart Mill, in his book Utilitarianism. To put his argument simply, utilitarianism can be summarized as the greatest amount of good for the largest number of people. While, no one can argue that all people strive to be happy, I disagree with the claims that are ultimately supposed to support the theory. Instead of strengthening his argument, segments ofRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill s Moral Theory Of Utilitarianism1514 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Stuart Mill wrote on his moral theory of Utilitarianism, which many have refuted by explaining that it failed to respect the dignity and worth of human beings. 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John Mill was a British Philosopher, economist, moral and political theorist, and was the most influential English-speaking philosopher in the nineteenth century. John Forbes Nash Jr. and John Stuart Mill were both very intelligent as young children. John Stuart Mill learned to read as a toddler and began to study Latin at the age of three. John ForbesRead MoreUtilitarianism, By John Stuart Mill And Utilitarianism880 Words   |  4 PagesMoral theories are sometimes hard to define, but with John Stuart Mill and Utilitarianism it is a little bit easier. Utilitarianism is an easy one, for the reason that it is defined by the greatest happiness for everyone involved. Sometimes it does not always make everyone content, but if you look at it as a whole it makes sense. Mill says that we have to look at the bigger picture. One person’s happiness affects another’s and so on. 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