03 Teleological Ethics: E John Stuart Mill's Development Of Utilitarianism: Types Of Pleasure, The Harm Principle And The Use Of Rules Flashcards
(28 cards)
What does John Stuart Mill accept?
The ‘principle of utility’.
What was Mill concerned about with utilitarianism?
Individuals could be ignored in order for the greatest happiness of the majority.
What are Mill’s concerns with utilitarianism?
-Justice: it doesn’t deal with how pleasure is distributed, minorities or individuals might suffer.
-Some people may gain pleasure from other people’s pain.
What did Mill say is impractical?
to suggest that we should measure every moral decision every time.
What did Mill say is time consuming?
The hedonic calculus.
What did Mill say is more important than the quality of pleasure?
The quality of pleasure that an act produces.
What does Mill distinguish between?
higher and lower pleasures.
What are higher pleasures also known as?
intellectual pleasures.
What are higher intellectual pleasures refered to as?
merely physical ones.
What teaches us to prefer ‘higher pleasures’?
Experiences.
What takes time but increases the capacity for pleasure?
Acquisition of certain tastes.
What do higher pleasures improve?
us.
What does Mill believe makes humans unique?
Their capacity to achieve higher pleasures.
Quote Mill talking about pleasure.
“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig; better to be socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied”
According to Mill, what are lower pleasures?
Inferior pleasures of the body: physical pleasures.
Give an example of lower pleasures.
Eating.
According to Mill, what are higher pleasures?
intellectual pleasures that help humans to develop their intellect.
Give an example of higher pleasures?
poetry and art.
What did Mill recognise that people must first achieve?
The lower pleasure, but once these have been achieved, they should aim for the higher pleasures.
Explain Mill’s universability.
Mill believed that:
1. All people desire happiness.
2. Happiness is the only thing desirable as an end because things are only desirable if they bring about happiness.
Therefore everyone ought to aim at the happiness of everyone, as increasing the general happiness will increase my happiness.
Explain Mill’s harm principle?
‘The only reason power can be rightfully exercised over a member of a civilised community against their will is to prevent harm to others’
So Mill believed we should prevent harm.
What are Mill’s rules for utilitarianism?
-Not all actions need to be morally assessed.
-A teleological / deontological hybrid.
Most people believe that Mill was a weak…
rule utilitarian.
Why do most people believe that Mill was a weak rule utilitarian?
-He believed that we needed rules to protect minorities and individuals.
-Mill suggested rules such as do no harm and do not lie.
