The principle of utility according to John Stuart Mill can be divided into two parts from which he attempts to explain and prove it. Mill begins by claiming that it would be impossible to prove a principle by mere reasoning. As he attempts to prove the utility principle he begins by claiming that the proof that desire exists would be from the evidence that people actually desire something. Therefore, it justified the fact that happiness is good and that people desire happiness as one criterion of morality. Mill then has to show how happiness is the sole criterion of morality and people only desire happiness over anything else.
In the first stage of the chapter, Mill claims that it can be proven that something or somebody is good or bad as it cannot be deduced from other premises. Here, Mill argues that happiness is good and is desirable when he states that ‘no reason can be given why the aspect of general happiness is desirable, except that each person desires his own happiness’ (Mill. 122). From the statement. Mill appears to mean that anything that is desirable is good, in this sense general happiness is good. He later links what is desirable to what most people desire when he says that ‘the sole evidencethat something is desirable is that people do desire it’ (Mill, 122). His argument means that unless people, in general, all happen to desire what is not worth desiring, then Mill’s argument would be considered as evidence of the principle of utility in the first stage. By looking at what most people desire, then there is evidence of what is worth desiring. Therefore, it is reasonable to infer that happiness is desirable because most people desire happiness.
The second part of his argument would be to prove that happiness is the only desirable or good thing. It would include aspects such as freedom, beauty, truth among others that he must prove they derive their values from happiness. People desire any other things as a means to happiness such as buying new cars, or houses. Therefore, there are many other things except happiness that are also good. Mill responds to the issue by further clarifying on the meaning of happiness. He believes that happiness is made up of ingredients such as truth and freedom. Each of the ingredients is also desirable. He considers the distinction between ‘constitutive means’ and ‘external means’ to an end which means one can achieve the independent end by performing the means. According to Mill, whatever people desire for its sake can be considered as part of happiness for us. For example; knowing the truth does not mean happiness, but it is just for the sake of knowing the truth. He believes that to desire something or someone that is just is to find it pleasant. He says that it is ‘physically and metaphysically impossible’ for people to desire some things that do not bring pleasure. Therefore, pleasure is happiness, and people only desire happiness, and happiness is considered as the only good.
Mill defends his principle of utility by proving the two steps that; happiness is good and that it is the only good thing. Mill’s considers various points that are relevant to the philosophy on how people view the world and he advocates for a certain worldview.
References
Mill, J. S. (1957). Utilitarianism. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.
Mill, J. S. (2002). The Basic Writings of John Stuart Mill. Modern Library.
