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John Stuart MillUtilitarianism
Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1861A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is a moral philosophy based around the idea that humans act in ways that increase happiness and avoid pain. One of the major founders of the philosophy was Jeremy Bentham, who expounded the idea in his work An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, published in 1789. In 1863, John Stuart Mill wrote the essay, “Utilitarianism,” as a defense of Bentham’s ideas. In the essay, Mill argues that utilitarianism is not opposed to pleasure, as many presume, but rather seeks to increase pleasure and happiness. As the ultimate goal of human actions are to increase their happiness, Mill believes that it is morally good to act in ways that increase happiness and limit pain or harm. Mill is careful to note that utilitarianism is concerned less with individual pleasure than with societal happiness. Utilitarianism is a philosophy concerned ultimately with the welfare of all of society; individual happiness matters only to the extent that it does not cause harm to other individuals.
Utility Principle
The Utility Principle, also referred to as the principle of utility and the “greatest happiness principle,” is the core idea of utilitarianism. The principle states that “actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness” (121). This principle, the “foundation of morals,” has been implicit in all other moral philosophies, even those which are not considered utilitarian. Mill refers to the principle of utility frequently throughout his essay, believing that it can help individuals determine appropriate moral behavior in a given situation in a way that other ideas cannot.
External Sanctions
External sanctions are one of the two forms of sanctions that compel humans to behave morally. For example, when humans behave in a moral way because they know that this behavior will earn them affection or because God’s approval, they are responding to external sanctions. Similarly, external sanctions are also at work whenever humans feel obligated to follow a moral code in order to avoid punishment or judgment from their peers. For Mill, such sanctions can be understood as a system “of external reward and punishment” (141) by which humans are encouraged to follow a moral code set by society or religion.
Internal Sanctions
Internal sanctions is the second form of sanction by which individuals are obligated to behave morally. Internal sanctions take the form of an individual’s conscience; for example, the uncomfortable feeling that arises whenever an individual considers violating their moral code is an example of an internal sanction. Mill believes that such feelings of discomfort or pain are “the essence of Conscience” (141) that develop in individuals through years of experience and education. Discomfort often occurs when someone considers behaving immorally, and this feeling can occur again in the form of remorse after the commitment of a wrong deed.
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By John Stuart Mill
