Marshall Silver

PHL 304
TA: David Crow

HW #1

Utility is the ethical standard by which Mill judges an action’s ability to promote

human happiness. It is Mill’s belief that happiness is the ultimate purpose of human

existence. Mill’s principle of utility is a system of morality in which actions are judged

by the “greatest happiness principle”.

What does Mill mean by his “greatest happiness principle”? The attainment of

happiness is the only thing desirable as an end in itself. Mill defines happiness as

“intended pleasure and the absence of pain”. The goal of individuals in society according

to Mill “is an existence exempt as far as possible from pain, and as rich as possible in

enjoyments”. All things that are desired are desired either for their inherent pleasure or

as a means by which to attain pleasure. According to the principle of utility, the action

that brings the greatest happiness within society is the moral action. This is not to say

that people should act from the motive of duty to society. Mill argues that the morality of

an action is independent of motive. On that basis he says that when people act for their

individual benefit (assuming they do not violate the rights of others), society benefits. If

all people followed the utilitarian ethic and acted out of a personal desire for happiness,

society would still benefit. Utilitarianism does not demand the sacrifice of personal

happiness; instead Mill argues that acting for “private utility” exerts a beneficial

influence of the “general utility”.

Before condemning Mill’s standard of seeking happiness as its own end as beastly

and demeaning, one must consider Mill’s distinction between different qualities of
happiness. As Mill states, “human beings have faculties more elevated than the animal

appetites”, and because of this, human happiness includes not only the lower animal

pleasures, but also higher sources of pleasure. Mill ascribes much higher value to the

“pleasures of the intellect” than to the pleasures of “mere sensation”. Mill considers it

irrefutable that higher pleasures are preferable to the lower because experienced people

who have known both high and low pleasures display a preference for the higher

pleasures. When judging happiness, both quality and quantity must be considered, with

quality as the predominant factor.

Utility is defined as a condition of being useful. What does Mill consider useful

then? Anything that can contribute to happiness, adding pleasure and keeping away pain

has utility. Through his principle of utility, Mill proposes an ethical standard by which to

judge actions—the standard of utility, or how much happiness an action can bring.

Through this conception of utility, Mill forms the basis of his utilitarian philosophy.