John Stuart Mill s Argument That Happiness Is The Only...

In this essay I am going to write about John Stuart Mill’s argument that happiness is the only intrinsic good. Mill’s proof focuses on defending utilitarianism, one of the most prominent works in moral philosophy and most prominent form of consequentialism as proposed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Mill defines the theory and provides his responses to common misconceptions people have surrounding it. Utility, the Greatest Happiness Principle, states that actions are right in that they generally promote happiness, and wrong as they produce the opposite of happiness. Utilitarianism, on the other hand, tends to focus on the general good and happiness of the world over individual pleasure. In this essay, I am going to argue for Mill’s argument that happiness is the only intrinsic good. In the first part of the essay, I am going to present John Stuart Mill’s point of view and defense of utilitarianism, and in the second part of the essay I am going to argue for it. I conclude my essay by formulating a basic summary of my argument supporting Mill’s proof that happiness is indeed the only intrinsic good. Part I The idea at the central to utilitarianism is that actions should increase the amount of happiness in the world. Mill was introduced to this doctrine rather early, and decided to dedicate his life to developing and further spreading it. Utilitarianism can be defined as â€Å"not so much an argument for the principle of utility as it is an argument for the claim thatShow MoreRelated Immanuel Kants Ethics Of Pure Duty and John Stuart Mills Utilitarian Ethics Of Justice2753 Words   |  12 PagesImmanuel Kants The Grounding For The Metaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mills Utilitarianism Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of morality in terms of how moral traditions are formed. 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