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Analysis Of John Stuart Mill's Theory Of Utilitarianism

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Within the theory of utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill states that humans act according to the moral greater good of the many, instead of the individual, because it is in our nature to do so. The sole premise of this theory rests on the idea that the best outcome will always come from an action that favors the greatest good for the greatest number. Unlike other theories of this nature, Mills focused on the morality of actions instead of the justice associated with them. One example of this is the well known trolley scenario. In this scenario, you control a trolley on the tracks; on one track there are five people tied down, and on the other there is only one person. According to Mill, the most morally acceptable and correct response would …show more content…
These are, internal and external sanctions. An external sanction relies on the motivating factors of hope, fear and love. We hope that our actions will give us favor, fear that we could be punished by our actions and love and believe in a higher power, or god, to keep us on the right track towards morality. Opposite this, an internal sanction relies on our own beliefs. With this sanction, we focus on our own sense of responsibility, feeling and conscience to guide us in our path to a utilitarian morality. We rely on both of these influences to keep our actions within the laws of utilitarianism and gives us reason to focus our efforts into working for the common and greatest …show more content…
I would like to believe that all people act according to the same code and reasoning, such as Utilitarianism, but I also have witnessed, on many accounts, the reverse of this theory. There are many who act solely because they wish to promote anarchy, or do so for their own personal enjoyment. This can be exemplified through theft or murder without cause. In these cases the perpetrator would be acting on their own accord and not in compliance with the greatest good, as Mill has laid out with his theory. Many do not have the capability to work for the overall happiness of a group if they are not guaranteed happiness as well. This is the fault of our

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