Selection From Utilitarianism, By John Stuart Mill

Among the four ethical theories, utilitarianism is the only theory that can be supported with data. Furthermore, it possible for people to apply utilitarianism in their daily lives when moral decisions are being made. As defined in class, utilitarianism is “an act that is morally right if and only if its consequences are at least as good as the consequences of every alternative act”. Utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of an act which is measured in terms of pleasure, well-being, or preference.
In the Selection from Utilitarianism; Mill questions why humans are “bound to not rob or murder, betray or deceive” but are “bound to promote the general happiness” especially when their “own happiness lies in something else”. In order to answer this, the question of whether utility is innate or adopted is discussed. Mill begins by addressing the case in which utility is …show more content…
In other words, Mill proves the principle of utility by imposing that all humans seek happiness. Furthermore, he states that all desires, preferences, and indulgences (regardless of its initial purpose and deviation from happiness) contributes to an aggregate whole of happiness. I find Mill’s conclusion intriguing and to a certain degree correct in terms of how human’s actions are motivated by consequences that concern their pleasure, well-being or preference. However, I still believe that utilitarianism lacks in a few regards. One objection to utilitarianism is the lack of consideration for negatives consequences. Often times, utilitarianism is seen in an optimistic light and at times, takes light of situations which hold moral value that cannot be categorized as a container. Therefore although utilitarianism is a good start to determine whether a decision is morally correct or morally incorrect, more considerations must be made in order to arrive at a complete