John Stuart Mill: Principles of Utilitarianism

For John Stuart Mill, the highest good in life is the acquisition of happiness. He even wrote a fellow named Carlyle that he is still a utilitarian but in a personal way uncommon to other people who claim as such. The main criticism of John Stuart Mill on the principles of utilitarianism includes his outright rejection of the conception of the good by Benthamite. John Stuart wanted to focus more on the development of a person’s personal moral character. He also supports hedonism in some aspect in order to answer those people who object his arguments. He meant that hedonism is a vital element in utilitarianism as it is the foundation of the theory itself.

Mills explained that the principle of utility is the ability to consider happiness as desirable, and the sole thing to be desirable as an end purpose for everything. In that sense, all other aspects in life are only desirable as means to that purpose of achieving happiness. For example, two men who loved the same woman try to do everything just to be chosen by the woman herself. The ultimate purpose of each man is to be happy with the woman for the rest of his life. His end is to marry the woman and have children to enjoy life and achieve happiness. In order to achieve such goal, each man would perform acts that would persuade the woman such as giving her gifts, giving her time and attention, and even promising her material things and emotional matters. When the woman has already chosen her man, then happiness will be achieved by the man she had chosen. The ultimate goal had been achieved through doing other necessary things for the woman.