John Stuart Mill and Utilitarianism Analytical Essay by Top Papers

The paper relates that utilitarianism has become all but synonymous with John Stuart Mill, not surprisingly since he literally wrote the book on the subject. The paper looks at how in "Utilitarianism", Mill (1861) writes, "It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied" (p. 153). The paper asserts that this is a central point in Mill's philosophical and ethical approach, one that has significant implications for utilitarianism. An examination of the merits and drawbacks of this position reveals that there exist significant flaws in Mill's approach, flaws that undermine the effectiveness of the proposal specifically and utilitarianism generally.