Utilitarianism: John Stuart Mill And Peter Singer

What is Utilitarianism? Utilitarianism is a philosophical concept that holds an action to be held right if it tends to promote happiness for the greatest number of people. Utilitarian’s define the morally right actions as those actions that maximize happiness and minimize misery. Many believe that utilitarianism is an unrealistic theory. Arguments and responses to utilitarianism being too demanding have been made John Stuart Mill and Peter Singer. First, I will explain how Mill and Singer respond to the objection, and continue on with my own response on the behalf of the utilitarian.
In “Famine, Affluence, and Morality,” Singer responds to the objection of utilitarianism by stating that we should work full-time jobs to increase the happiness over the unhappiness (Singer 238). Responding that if nothing bad were to occur we will not have to sacrifice anything of the same moral value. Singer’s argument would have no application to the objection if this were to happen. He believes that the …show more content…
Mill responds to the objection by stating that no ethic system requires an action to have a reason behind it, but when we do something it should be out of a feeling that we need to. Although the motive is not based on morals, and most of the actions we do are to benefit the world. (Mill 18). To Mill this is a requirement that is too strict. This requirement asks society to always be interest in promoting the happiness. There is always the rule of action that is accompanied by the motive of the action. The motive of action is what Mill considered to be morally right, and the rule of the action would be the action take for the motive to be possible. For example, my friend is sick so I am going to steal him dugs to save him. The motive would be to save him, the rule would be to steal him the drugs that he