Mill's Consequentialist Hedonism (Utilitarianism)

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Utilitarianism Introduction

• Mill begins (our selection) by claiming that ethical claims are not susceptible to (scientific or mathematical) proof. They can be argued for on broader grounds of rationality, however, and he will do this to argue for his view of Utilitarianism.
• Utilitarianism is the view that "actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness." And "By happiness is intended pleasure." Here we have both Mills decision theory and his value theory: hedonism with consequentialism.
• Hedonism = the claim that pleasure is good (or, is The Good).
• Consequentialism = the claim that actions are to be valued in terms of their outcomes (as opposed to in and of themselves).

Hedonism (the happiness principle)

• Mill cannot give us a strong argument for hedonism, but rather asks us to grant his claim -- he considers it an observation -- that things are only ever desired for the pleasure they ultimately cause, and only ever hated or avoided for the pain they cause.
• Traditional rejection of hedonism has viewed it as somehow vulgar, but Mill responds that this is too low a view of human beings. People find pleasure in fine things also. And such pleasures as intellectual enjoyments are superior becuase of their "greater permanency, safety, uncostliness, etc."
• Mill allows that pleasures have different qualities. Pleasure x is of greater quality than pleasure y if those who have experienced x and y prefer x. Mill argues furthermore that the greater quality pleasures will tend to be those that we typically consider more appropriate (e.g., Beethoven over Britney Spears).
• Also, it would be wrong to conclude hedonism means a fat pig sitting in slop is happier than a struggling genius human. The pig is more content, perhaps, because it has all the pleasures it desires, but the pleasures of the genuis, though mostly unsatisfied, are of higher quality (and wholly beyond the pig).
• All things which are sentient should be taken into account: (this form of) hedonism respects all pleasures, even if it ranks those of humans above those of other species of animal in terms of quality.

Consequentialism

• The happiness (pleasure) that must be taken into account in valuing some action is the happiness of all concerned: utilitarianism requires that we weigh our own happiness equally with that of others (in cases of equal quality and quantity).
• An action then is good to the degree that it tends to increase overall pleasure as a consequence.
• Mill also advocates what today is called "rule utilitarianism." He recognizes that we can't constantly be computing the expected outcome of our actions, so should instead in general set up the rules of society in such a way that, when obeyed, they tend to increase overall pleasure.
• Utilitarianism does allow for the breaking of such rules, in principle, if this will lead to greater happiness. Mill saw this as something we should agree to: for any rule we should be able to imagine a situation in which it should be broken.