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Utilitarianism In John Stuart Mill (a Critical Appraisal)
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The definitions of ‘good’ in the light of theories of ethics raised
vexing questions to the commands, dictates, purposes and imperative
consist of the principle of utility. Some of the definitions refer to it
as:
The commands of God, the dictates of reason, the fulfilment of
the purposes of human nature, the duty to obey the categorical
imperative, etc. Hence, John Locke holds that what has aptness to
produce pleasure in us is what we regard as good and what is apt to
produce pain in us, we refer to as evil. David Hume, on the other hand
explains pleasure as sympathy. Accordingly, sympathy is the pleasure we
feel when we consider the pleasure of others.
However, Jeremy Bentham
asserted that man is by nature a pleasure seeking and pain-avoiding
animal. According to him, these two concepts (pleasure and pain) govern
us in all we do, say and think. Utilitarianism therefore, is a moral
theory that holds the thesis that man’s highest good consists in the
optimum realization of the pleasures of which men is capable. It views
pleasures and happiness as the end of man. Consequently, utility means
happiness and pleasure, of which stands for the determinant of morality.
Hence, the utilitarian principle approves or disapproves of every
action whatsoever which appears to have the tendency to augment or
diminish happiness. It therefore acclaims an action to be good when the
aggregate of pleasure is greater than the aggregate of pain.
1.2 WHAT IS UTILITARIANISM
We
cannot appreciate properly the principle of utilitarianism without
understanding the values of the concepts of happiness and pleasure.
Every writer from Epicurus to Bentham, who had maintained the theory of
utility, meant by it not something to be contradistinguished from
pleasure but, pleasure itself together with exemption from pain; for
utilitarian principle considers effects like pleasure, happiness good,
evil and pain as it relates to human actions and behaviour.
It must
be noted from the outset that those who stand up for utility as the test
of right and wrong did not use the term in that restricted and merely
colloquial sense in which utility is opposed to pleasure. Utility stands
the same thing as happiness and pleasure. Moreover, the world and new
generations have built and acquired their sole notion of the meaning of
utilitarianism from the perverted use and definition of the term.
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 6]
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